Scented pens, novelty rubbers, rainbow highlighters and another adorable patterned notebook that will never be filled? Yes please. There’s a different kind of dopamine hit that comes from purchasing new stationery. That’s why it felt like such a big loss when it seemed like beloved stationery store Paperchase could disappear from our high streets altogether.
The chain – which gained a cult following from pastel pen and cute notebook enthusiasts – closed all of its 106 stores this year after going into administration in January. But before the brand could disappear forever, Tesco came to the rescue, buying Paperchase’s brand and intellectual property so that its products could be sold in the supermarket.
Stationery fans have since been waiting patiently for the brand to appear in their local Tesco. And now the wait is almost over! Paperchase branding has appeared in some stores already, according to Bryan Roberts, a retail analyst with the Institute of Grocery Distribution. Some customers have spotted aisles being blocked off with rainbow posters teasing ‘Colour coming soon’.
First glimpse of the impending Paperchase sections in Tesco, plus the debut of ads on scan-as-you-shop handsets launched the other week. The ads at the top change every minute and are generally tied into Clubcard promotions pic.twitter.com/597GiyKM17
A Tesco spokesperson told Retail Gazette: ‘Having acquired the Paperchase brand back in January, we look forward to bringing this well-loved name to Tesco and are excited to launch a range of Paperchase products in selected stores and online in the coming weeks.’
The high street, rising from the dead
Right now, it feels as though every week another core British institution disappears from our high streets. You can keep up with all the planned closures here.
But once in a while, like Paperchase’s revival in Tesco, some of our most beloved stores and products get brought back to life. After four years, HMV’s iconic flagship store is returning to Oxford Street and just in time for Christmas there’s a much-loved Quality Street choc coming back and Cadbury’s chocolate coins are making a return after almost a decade.
Did you see that this massively popular charity-shop department store is opening another UK site?
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