Jan 24, 2020

Papyrus closing retail stores, wholesale brand to continue

Greeting card and stationery chain Papyrus is closing its retail stores across the United States and Canada.

Most of the 254 closings will take place over four to six weeks, said Dominique Schurman, CEO of Papyrus parent company Schurman Retail Group, in a statement Tuesday.

Founded by Marcel and Margrit Schurman in 1950, Goodlettsville, Tennessee-based Schurman has about 1,400 employees at its stores.

“Despite our Herculean efforts to realign our Papyrus and American Greetings stores to fit today’s shopping environment, Schurman Retail Group had to make the difficult decision to close all 254 of our stores in North America,” Dominique Schurman said in a statement sent to press outlets this week.

American Greetings, owner of the Papyrus brand, has grown the business since acquiring it in 2009 into one of the most recognizable greeting cards brands in the industry.

“While Schurman Retail Group has decided to file for bankruptcy and will be closing its specialty card stores in 2020, American Greetings supplies and sells Papyrus greeting cards and other Papyrus branded products in over 300 retailers; totaling over 20,000 locations, across the United States and Canada and will continue to do so without any interruption,” American Greetings director of communications Patrice Molnar said in a statement to Great American Media Services.

On Thursday, the retail group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Court records show of the 254 stores, 178 are located in 27 states and Washington D.C., and the company has 1,000 U.S. employees. The other stores are in Canada.