British greetings cards and stationery specialist retailer Paperchase has opened its first airport store at Manchester as it continues to expand overseas. More airport outlets are on the cards if the model works well at Manchester.
The company already operates a number of stores at train stations but the airport shops have a somewhat different product mix. CEO Timothy Meglund said: “Train stations are about regular custom and seasonal opportunities, but air travel is something quite different – it’s about gifts and treats because you may be meeting friends or going on holiday.”
While Paperchase did not generate huge sales during the Olympics, Melgund believes the event helped boost the company’s profile among overseas visitors, saying: “There were 60 million people travelling on the tube and travelling through stations where we’re located. My guess is we’ll do nicely from it.”
The next Paperchase train station store will open on October 25 at Waterloo, after opening at London’s Hammersmith Broadway last week. Kings Cross and Euston in London also have branches.
Paperchase now has a total of 88 UK stores, 13 Middle East franchises, two Dutch rail franchises and plans to open a standalone store in America after a deal with Target enabled it to return to the US market. Target will exclusively stock Paperchase products from November 2012.
