• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Retail

Stationery retailer Papyrus is closing all stores

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 21, 2020, 1:00 PM ET

Stationery chain Papyrus, which once had over 450 stores throughout the U.S., is shutting the doors of its standalone stores.

The company that has operated the retail chain is reportedly closing all of its locations nationwide, citing “current challenges of the retail industry.” Liquidation sales are already underway at several stores. (The company’s cards and branded products will continue to be sold at other stores, but will no longer have standalone locations.)

Schurman Retail Group, which licensed the Papyrus brand from its owner American Greetings, has not issued a statement about the closings and calls to its customer support lines went to a voicemail. The Papyrus website, though, now clearly states that all sales are final and no returns or guarantees will be honored.

As of Tuesday morning, all merchandise online is 20% off.

Papyrus was founded in 1950, specializing in greeting cards, gift bags, paper products and writing accessories, and most recently had 260 stores, according to its Website. The chain focused on major markets in the Northeast, the San Francisco Bay area, Tampa, Chicago, and Indianapolis. American Greetings Corporation acquired the Papyrus brand in 2009. Schurman then licensed the brand and ran the specialty retail locations. The shutdown of those stores will not impact sales of the company’s products at other retailers.

The closure of the Papyrus stores is the turn in the ongoing retail apocalypse, which has seen A.C. Moore shut its doors and both Barney’s and Forever 21 file for bankruptcy in the last several months. Pier 1 Imports, meanwhile, announced plans earlier this month to significantly increase the number of stores it was closing.

Clarification: While standalone Papyrus stores are closing, Papyrus-branded products will continue to be sold by other retailers.

More must-read stories from Fortune:

—25 ideas that will shape the 2020s
—Why it’s time for a futures market in health care
—What we can learn from the man who tried to sell the Eiffel Tower—twice
—Food-delivery services feeling pressure to finally turn a profit
—Disney is ready to roll out new Star Wars sagas as one story ends

Subscribe to Fortune’s forthcoming Bull Sheet for no-nonsense finance news and analysis daily.

About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Retail

RetailCostco
Costco CEO promises the $1.50 hot dog isn’t going away: ‘The price will not change as long as I’m around’
By Sydney LakeMarch 21, 2026
2 days ago
AsiaPepsiCo
Three Asias, three different playbooks: How PepsiCo’s Anne Tse views the world’s fastest-growing snack market
By Nicholas GordonMarch 20, 2026
3 days ago
A man walks between two luxury cars with the skyline of Dubai in the background.
RetailLuxury
The Middle East is one of the world’s fastest growing luxury markets—and the war in Iran may cut its sales in half, analysts say
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 20, 2026
3 days ago
AsiaMitsubishi
How an MBA internship led Mitsubishi to e-commerce platform Yami—and into the U.S. snacks market
By Nicholas GordonMarch 20, 2026
3 days ago
Melissa Ben Ishay attends The Build Series to discuss Baked By Melissa at AOL HQ on October 14, 2016 in New York City.
C-SuiteFood and drink
Baked by Melissa’s founder was fired at 24. Two decades later, she’s ‘so freaking thrilled’ to step down as CEO
By Eva RoytburgMarch 19, 2026
4 days ago
Stephan Winkelmann, wearing a dark blue suit, speaks in front of a black background with the Lamborghini logo on it.
RetailAutos
Lamborghini is selling a record number of cars—but tariffs are eating its profits
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 19, 2026
4 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.