Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes.....

"Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Don't tell them to grow up and out of it
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Where's your shame
You've left us up to our necks in it
Time may change me
But you can't trace time"

---Song lyrics by David Bowie

Since my last post, there's been quite a few comments about the situation at Webster's here on this blog, on our Facebook pages and on Altadenablog. The general consensus of opinion seems to be that the walls between the stores and the lack of good customer service has severely impacted area residents' willingness to shop at Webster's. Scott and I and our entire crew understands that. We're working extra hard to bring quality shopping back into the fabric of life in Altadena because we believe you deserve it. We'll keep pushing until all parties involved understand this concept as well.

Having a thriving business center on North Lake Avenue is a sweet dream of ours. With some work and cooperation, the dream could become reality. The work the Altadena Arts Coalition has been doing toward this end has shown great promise. We're in the midst of planning our next event, tentatively scheduled in conjunction with the lighting of Christmas Tree Lane in December and we're so excited about it! Fabulous things are in the works, so definitely stay tuned for more details as we plan them out, and follow my updates on Twitter.

As a store in transition in an uncertain economy, WFS has been able, for the most part, to hold its own. We are grateful to Webster's Pharmacy and our supporters, without whom we wouldn't have made it this far. As a result of this uncertainty, though, many of our employees feel insecure, and I don't blame them....I've been feeling a little insecure myself. Our manager for these past two years, Michelle Perata, is leaving us tomorrow for a better job elsewhere. We wish her the best of luck and will miss her dearly. She's helped us keep it together throughout the confusion of construction, the transition to being our own separate store and then helping retrain everyone to be the type of sales crew we envisioned. She's a wonderful gal and I hope you'll come by Friday to say goodbye to her. In Michelle's honor, we're serving cake (from Pastries by Nancy!) and lemonade from noon on and offering a 10% discount if you mention the code phrase "Michelle is the best manager"!

As sad as it is to see Michelle go, we're tickled that we could promote from within and give Leilana De Los Santos the position of manager. She'll be leading our crew Monday next, so if you haven't met her yet, drop by anytime to say hello. We're also sad to announce the departure of one of our newest employees, Tania. Her mother hurt her back and Tania left her position to help her out. We wish Tania the best of luck, also, and hope her mother's health improves soon. With Tania gone, we were left with two positions open and are thrilled to say those positions were filled within minutes. Our two new crew members are Trish and Devon, both local residents and both very smart, beautiful young ladies. We're building quite a team for you here at WFS and there's no time like the beginning of fourth quarter to hone their customer service skills. We'll have interviews with the new crew members soon.

We're also planning our Haute Halloween Festivities for Saturday the 31st. Keep reading to stay informed of our plans, and drop by the store anytime for decorating inspiration!

Out Of The Pan And Into The Fire

Scott and I received the following letter in the mail today, addressed to our store but unsigned and with no return address. One has to wonder why they addressed this to us. Was it because they knew the letter wouldn't fall on deaf ears? The letter rings eerily true with the posts I've been writing lately about what's fundamentally wrong at Webster's Shopping Center. Please take a moment to read this letter, then scan back and peruse my posts of the past several months. Letter follows:

" LETTER FROM DISSATISFIED CUSTOMER 9/18/09


WEBSTER’S

PHARMACY
FINE STATIONERS
HALLMARK STORE



TO THE OWNERS OF THE PHARMACY, FINE STATIONERS, AND HALLMARK STORE,

I HAVE BEEN A CUSTOMER OF WEBSTER’S, IN ALL ITS PERMUTATIONS, FOR OVER 50 YEARS. I CHOSE TO SHOP WITH YOU BECAUSE I WANTED TO KEEP MY DOLLARS IN THE COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT YOU. I DON’T PARTICULARLY LIKE THE LARGE CHAIN STORES, AND PREFER THE CONVENIENCE OF SHOPPING WITH YOU, EVEN IF I SPEND A LITTLE MORE. IT WAS WORTH IT TO ME TO KEEP MY BUSINESS IN THE AREA WHERE I LIVE.

AFTER OVER 50 YEARS, I DON’T SHOP WITH YOU ANYMORE, AND FROM THE LOOKS OF YOUR PARKING LOT, I DON’T THINK A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE DO EITHER. YOU COULD CHALK IT UP TO THE ECONOMY, BUT THE REASONS I DISCONTINUED FILLING MY PRESCRIPTIONS AND BUYING CARDS AND GIFTS WITH YOU GO WAY ABOVE AND BEYOND THE ECONOMY. IT HAS TO DO WITH YOUR COMPLETE LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVICE.

RECENTLY, I’VE EXPERIENCED AN APPALLING LACK OF SERVICE IN YOUR PHARMACY. MY DOCTOR’S OFFICE HAS CALLED IN PRESCRIPTIONS THAT DON’T GET FILLED CORRECTLY. IN ONE CASE, THE PRESCRIPTION CLEARLY CALLED OUT THAT GENERICS COULD NOT BE SUBSTITUTED. YOUR PHARMACIST WENT AHEAD AND FILLED THE PRESCRIPTION WITH A GENERIC WITHOUT CALLING MY PHYSICIAN OR ME. I DISCOVERED THIS ABNORMALITY WHEN I PICKED UP THE PRESCRIPTION.

WHEN I BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE PHARMACIST, I DIDN’T EVEN GET SO MUCH AS AN APOLOGY. AFTER 50 YEARS OF DOING BUSINESS WITH YOU, (AND WE SPEND SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS A MONTH IN PRESCRIPTIONS AND OTC), IT IS THE LAST PRESCRIPTION I WILL EVER FILL WITH YOU. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT ACCEPTABLE.

I’VE TRIED TO REFILL PRESCRIPTIONS VIA YOUR PHONE SERVICE RECEIVED A VERIFICATION VIA PHONE THAT THE ORDER WAS CONFIRMED, RECEIVED A PICK-UP TIME AND DATE ONLY TO SHOW UP AT THE COUNTER AND BEEN TOLD THAT YOU DON’T HAVE THE MEDICATION ON HAND, AND IT WON’T BE AVAILABLE FOR A DAY OR TWO. AND NEVER ONCE DID YOU, OR ANYONE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION, PICK UP THE PHONE TO ALERT ME TO THIS. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, YOUR COMPETITORS ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO CALL ME AND KEEP ME INFORMED OF MY PRESCRIPTIONS’ PROGRESS, SO I WILL BE SPENDING MY PHARMACEUTICAL MONIES ELSEWHERE.

I RECENTLY VENTURED INTO YOUR PHARMACY LOOKING FOR A SKIN CARE PRODUCT YOU HAVE CARRIED FOR YEARS. I COULDN'T FIND IT. I WAS THE ONLY CUSTOMER IN THE PHARMACY. THE ONLY ONE! AND THERE WERE TWO LADIES BEHIND THE COUNTER, LEANING UP AGAINST THE WALL. I ASKED THE OLDER LADY WHO HAS BEEN WITH YOU FOR YEARS IF YOU CARRIED THIS PRODUCT. SHE JUST POINTED DOWN THE AISLE TO ME. SO I HUNTED, AND HUNTED, AND STILL DIDN’T FIND IT. SHE COULDN'T BE BOTHERED TO HELP. SHE WAS TOO BUSY STANDING BEHIND THE COUNTER DOING NOTHING. ON MY WAY OUT, I SAW THE PRODUCT, BUT BY THAT TIME, I DECIDED THAT YOU DON’T DESERVE MY MONEY. I WENT TO CALIFORNIA PHARMACY, HAD A GRACIOUS LADY HELP ME, PURCHASED WHAT I WENT IN FOR AND SOME OTHER ITEMS, AND LEFT AS A HAPPY CUSTOMER. TELL ME, DO YOU HIRE YOUR CLERKS TO LOAF BEHIND THE COUNTER, OR TO HELP CUSTOMERS? IF IT IS THE LATTER, YOU ARE PAYING GREATLY FOR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE HURTING, NOT HELPING, YOUR BUSINESS.

THE HALLMARK STORE IS NOT EXEMPT FROM THIS LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVICE. I ONCE ROUTINELY SPENT AT LEAST A MINIMUM OF $100.O0 A MONTH IN YOUR STORE FOR CARDS, STATIONERY, GIFT WRAP, GIFTS, TOYS, ETC. I VENTURED IN A FEW WEEKS AGO LOOKING FOR TWO BIRTHDAY CARDS, SOME TABLE FAVORS, GIFT WRAP AND RIBBON, INVITATIONS, TWO GIFTS AND STICKERS. AS I WAS LOOKING THROUGH THE CARDS, TWO THINGS HAPPENED.

1. A VERY ELDERLY LADY WALKED INTO THE CARD SECTION. SHE WAS LOOKING FOR A CARD THAT SAID, “BEST WISHES FOR YOUR 90TH BIRTHDAY”. SHE WAS HOPING SHE COULD FIND ONE, BUT IF NOT, SHE WANTED SOMETHING VERY TRADITIONAL AND PRETTY. THE YOUNG LADIES BEHIND THE COUNTER COULDN’T BE BOTHERED TO HELP HER. THEY WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING TO CLEAN UP AND CLOSE OUT. I HELPED YOUR CUSTOMER FIND A PRETTY CARD, AND HELPED HER TO THE CHECKOUT COUNTER WHERE SHE MADE HER PURCHASE. INCIDENTALLY, THIS CARD FOR A NINETY-YEAR-OLD WAS FOR HER YOUNGER SISTER. THIS CUSTOMER WAS AT LEAST 91 YEARS OLD, AND YOUR YOUNG, HEALTHY, ROBUST CLERKS COULD NOT LIFT A FINGER TO ASSIST HER.

2. WHILE THE ELDERLY LADY WAS SHOPPING, A FRAZZLED CUSTOMER ENTERED FROM LAKE AVENUE. SHE WAS LOOKING FOR A WALKER FOR HER MOTHER WHO JUST RETURNED FROM THE HOSPITAL. SHE LOOKED UP AND DOWN THE HALLMARK STORE AISLES, UNATTENDED AND UNAIDED BY YOUR EMPLOYEES. I FINALLY STEPPED IN, AFTER ASSISTING THE ELDERLY LADY WITH HER CARD PURCHASE, AND TOLD HER THAT I BELIEVE THE WALKERS CAN BE FOUND TWO DOORS UP IN THE PHARMACY. SHE TOLD ME SHE HAD CALLED IN ADVANCE, AND NO ONE TOLD HER WHAT DOOR TO GO TO, OR THE DIFFERENCES IN THE STORES. YOUR CLERKS, IN FACT, LOOKED AT HER BLANKLY, AND TOLD HER THEY DIDN’T KNOW WHERE SHE COULD FIND WALKERS! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?

SO I SAVED YOU TWO SALES AND TWO CUSTOMERS’ ONE CARD SALE IN THE HALLMARK STORE AND THE ONE WALKER SALE IN THE PHARMACY. I, HOWEVER, DID NOT MAKE A PURCHASE THAT DAY. I WAS SO DISGUSTED WITH THE ENTIRE SCENE THAT ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK THE NEXT DAY I STOPPED AT THE HALLMARK STORE IN LA CANADA. THE FRIENDLY PEOPLE GREETED ME AS I WALKED IN AND ASKED IF I NEEDED HELP. I TOLD THEM WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR, AND THEY SHOWED ME EVERYTHING I NEEDED, AND MORE! I WALKED OUT OF THERE THAT DAY FINDING ALL I WANTED, AND PAID $437.35. THAT IS $437.35 THAT DID NOT GO TO YOU. I NOW DO ALL MY HALLMARK AND GIFT SHOPPING IN LA CANADA AT THAT STORE.

THE SAD THING IS THAT I CAN GIVE YOU DOZENS OF EXAMPLES OF WHY I DON’T SHOP WITH YOU ANYMORE. THE TROUBLE IS THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO THINK THE SAME WAY I DO. WE DON’T LIKE THE WALLED IN ATMOSPHERE, (SORRY THE FAMILY BROKE UP THE BUSINESS FOLKS, BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF WAYS THAT TECHNOLOGY CAN DEAL WITH KEEPING STOCK AND SALES SEPARATE WHILE KEEPING THE IDEA OF A LARGE SHOPPING CENTER INTACT). NO ONE WANTS TO SHOP IN THE DARK FINE STATIONERS SHOP, AND WE ALL LIKED THE CONVENIENCE OF GETTING OUR PRESCRIPTIONS FILLED AND WALKING AROUND PICKING UP OTHER ITEMS. I LOVED BEING ABLE TO GET SCHOOL SUPPLIES, HALLMARK CARDS, OTC ITEMS, ETC., WITH ONE-STOP SHOPPING. I DON’T LIKE YOUR TOTAL LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVICE, YOUR SHORT-SIGHTED ATTEMPTS AT WALLING IN YOUR SHOPS, YOUR “LET THEM EAT CAKE” ATTITUDE. I HAVE FOUND PLENTY OF OTHER FRIENDLY, HARD-WORKING, ESTABLISHMENTS THAT WELCOME MY BUSINESS.

GO OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW. LOOK AT YOUR PARKING LOT. IT’S EMPTY, RIGHT? I REMEMBER A TIME WHEN IT WAS DIFFICULT TO FIND A PARKING SPACE IN YOUR LOT DURING THE WEEKEND OR HOLIDAYS. YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE SPECIAL EVENTS YOU WANT, YOU CAN ADVERTISE ALL YOU WANT, BUT YOU WILL NEVER HAVE THE CUSTOMERS YOU NEED UNTIL YOU PROVIDE GOOD, FRIENDLY CUSTOMER SERVICE AND HIRE PEOPLE WILLING TO GET OF THEIR BUTTS TO HELP THE CUSTOMERS. AND AS LONG AS YOU KEEP UP THOSE CONFINING WALLS, LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY, THAT DIVIDE YOUR SHOPS AND YOUR FAMILY, YOU WILL NEVER HAVE THE CUSTOMER BASE YOU NEED TO SUCCEED.

IT’S NOT JUST THE ECONOMY, FOLKS. IN THIS RECESSION, YOU HAVE TO GIVE BETTER SERVICE TO GET THE CUSTOMERS. YOU DON’T HAVE MY BUSINESS, AND I KNOW YOU HAVE LOST THE BUSINESS OF DOZENS OF OTHER LONG-TIME CUSTOMERS DUE TO YOUR NEGLIGENCE. WAKE UP BEFORE YOUR STORES, AND YOUR NAME, BECOME JUST MORE FOOTNOTES IN ALTADENA’S HISTORY.

PLEASE CONSIDER THIS FEEDBACK FROM A FORMER CUSTOMER WHO TOOK THE TIME TO TELL YOU WHY I WON’T BE COMING BACK UNTIL I HEAR THAT YOU HAVE TURNED YOUR BUSINESS, AND YOUR ATTITUDES, AROUND."

First of all, let me address the person who wrote this letter to the Pharmacy but delivered it to us. Thank you very much for this. Really and truly, thank you. Scott and I been asking for feedback from our customers for two years now, trying to engage everyone in the area. We knew the division of the stores wouldn't be readily accepted without any communication by management to the public. We knew the lack of customer service was a problem with the other stores and this is why we've been such sticklers with the crew here about ours.

But this isn't about which store has better service, because the simple fact of the matter is that the public perceives as as one entity. We can divide it up all we want but we can't change our customers' perception and this is why we advised long ago that we all work together to maintain at least the illusion of our being whole. Sadly, that was ignored. We have to ask why they ignored it, which was, loosely, the basis of my last post.

Ellen Snortland, a customer and friend, had a quote in her writer's workshop series, "Author Bite By Bite" (a wonderful group that can be found on Facebook) that particularly appropriate for what's happening here. It's an old Zen saying that "The gate to enlightenment is guarded by two lions: Confusion and Paradox". How very true that is. How very sad it is that Webster's hasn't been able to get past those two lions to find their way to a clear path. How it pains us to watch this happening without being able to do much about it, other than make sure our own store doesn't fall victim to the same pitfalls.

What I'd like to know now is what effect this letter is going to have on the Pharmacy. Maybe it'll be the catalyst they need to pull it together. It'll take a lot of tough love, but I firmly believe that it can be done. With our help and your help, I believe it can be done. What can you do to help, you ask? Please, please, let us know what you think....without your input we are rudderless. Post here, post on our Facebook Fan Page, write letters, come into the store and talk to us. For months, I've been asking this with little response....c'mon, Altadena, you can be vocal when you want to be!

One last thing to the author of the unsigned letter - we know the lighting in our store needs to be addressed. It's been the same since the 60's and never got updated like the other areas of Webster's. It takes a lot of money to change lighting in a retail store (it's not like buying lamps for your home) and we don't have the money right now. I'm a decorator, so this bugs me every single time I walk into this store but I'll have to be patient. Little by little, our store will become as wonderful as I envision it being but it'll become that vision only with your support. We sincerely hope that we can entice you back as a customer. We promise not to disappoint.

One more little thing. This customer who wrote the letter states that he or she has "been a customer of Webster's, in all its permutations, for 50 years". If they were, then they'd remember when the stores weren't all interconnected. Sometimes the people who patronize a certain store are a bit afraid and resistant to change, too.....just sayin'.

The Learning Curve at Webster's Fine Stationers

I’m embarking on an adventure. Today I started a 26-week course given by the Women’s City Club of Pasadena called “Business Builders Boot Camp”. The brainchild of Lilli Cloud, Donna Chaney and Jennifer Hamilton, this course will help me formulate a sound business plan for our store. I was blown away with the absolute awesomeness of the women attending along with me, and I feel that this is without doubt one of the most positive things I’ve done for our store so far. I need to learn more about how to steer our business toward the goals we set upon taking ownership of it. I want to learn how to maintain those goals and add to them and how to grow after realizing those goals. I can’t wait to soak in the knowledge and expertise all these wonderful women are offering and I’m so thankful that I happened to be invited into the group. I’m one lucky gal to have such fabulous friends and to have the chance to make more!

In class I spoke of our store and the history of Webster’s. We were identifying what the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are for our businesses and I volunteered to be the class example. It was an exciting discussion and I actually learned so much from listening to my classmates’ comments. Hands down, the top ranked strength for us was our name recognition. We discussed what a powerful tool name recognition is, then we talked about what can happen to that name recognition if it’s not given the proper care and attention it deserves. In other words, the store’s weakness is its lack of follow-through.

What Webster’s has become is a perfect example of what happens when you become complacent. Paraphrasing Petrea Bruchard in her article about us in her blog, Pasadena Daily Photo, Webster’s sat up on that hill and never really had to do much to attract shoppers. We were the only game in town and it was exciting at the time to have a nice place to shop in the neighborhood. We were the town’s hub and it was good. But local shopping fell out of favor. New and more exciting big box stores opened nearby and then warehouse stores came along. Things were less expensive at these places, you could get similar items for less, so business for Webster’s began fall off. The shopping demographic changed and we didn’t change with it, or we didn’t change in the right direction. With the years of neglect came apathy and denial, lackluster service and a general feeling of malaise that could be felt by customers. I noticed it when I took a full time job in the business office there in 1995 and I’ve talked with many people who’ve noticed the same thing throughout the years.

With Bill Webster’s retirement and the splitting up of the stores two years ago, our store began communicating with the public. We became very active on social media sites and have worked diligently to improve our visibility and reinforce our brand. Scott and I have made so many new friends and reinforced old friendships that we’re very thankful for. Many of these friends have offered advice, most of which we’ve taken to heart. But one piece of advice leaves us a bit flummoxed. Move on, they say, after learning about our trials with the Webster’s Corp…..find another storefront to rent where you’ll be more successful and get out before you go down with them. We’ve heard it from several different sources recently, especially now with the advent of Karen’s Hallmark‘s demise. I get where these friends are coming from, I truly do. But Scott and I just can’t reconcile moving the business away from Webster’s. What would happen to the main store if we did that? Where would that leave them? And more importantly, what would that say about our integrity?

Integrity is vitally important to Scott and I personally and it’s vitally important to us as a store. If we don’t follow through with what we’ve promised, then what are we? Integrity is also important to us in relationship to our family, reciprocated or not. If not for Webster’s, there would be no Webster’s Fine Stationers, and for that opportunity alone we’re more grateful than we can say.

Two years ago, we envisioned a small complex of stores working together to make a healthy whole and unfortunately, that didn’t happen. We’re now experiencing the closure of the Hallmark store, which will of course affect us all, and not in a good way. It will negatively affect the store on so many different levels, it’s staggering. Hopefully, though, this will become the catalyst for the two remaining stores to work together closely, and most of all, to learn from this experience. Scott and I remain hopeful because we believe in our store. We believe we can offer the community many benefits, which we’ve discussed in prior posts. We remain hopeful that with our help, Webster’s will remain in the community, but remember that we’ll need your help, too. Remember to shop local and please remember that Webster’s stands for Altadena.

Localization "Breathing New Life Into Neighborhoods"

So says an August 31st article in the OPEN Book: Trends, by American Express OPEN. The entire quote reads, "Localization breathing new life into neighborhoods and offering a better way of life in the process. Local businesses are perfectly positioned to participate." I couldn't agree more. If you've been reading along with this blog, you know I've been advocating buying local and telling you of the benefits to your community when you do for a couple years now. I've also been espousing community involvement, hence our partnering with The Quality of Life Center, Five Acres and our current involvement with the Altadena Arts Coalition and The 3/50 Project.

More and more, people are realizing that shopping at their local, independently owned businesses helps keep their communities not only unique but economically viable, as well. Many factors are instrumental this localization movement: the spotlight on natural foods and farmers markets, the realization of our ecological impact and the drive toward sustainability all come into play. Most of all, though, is the fact that most of us consumers prefer to do business with someone we know.
Couple this with the growing evidence that buying locally supports the community. You've heard me recite the figures before, but once again couldn't hurt. A study commissioned by the Andersonville Development Corporation indicates that $100.00 spent at an independent neighborhood business creates an additional $68.00 of local economic activity, compared to a benefit of only $43.00 if the $100.00 were spent at a chain or franchise. And we all know that business success attracts further business, the process fuels itself - revitalizing local commercial operations and leading to further growth.

Future growth....that's such a nice thing to think about. I imagine the North Lake Business District as a bustling commerce and retail center - hopefully one day that will be true. But it's very much in jeopardy at the current moment. As you've probably already heard, Karen's Hallmark is going out of business. That will leave Webster's center with one less business paying rent to the Corporation. It's a sad, sad state of affairs that a once vibrant shopping complex is reduced to just the Pharmacy, Liquor and Webster's Fine Stationers. Half the customers still don't realize that WFS is a separately owned business. Whether Hallmark's closing is a result of the Corporation's lack of communication with their customers or is just a general reflection of today's lousy economy is a tough call, but it is something that I warned about in my blogpost "Can Webster's Be Saved?".

While I'm encouraged by the information cited above in the American Express OPEN article and others of the same nature, it means nothing if it's not happening here in Altadena. If residents here don't undertand or care that shopping locally can improve your community's economy, which can only result in good things for all of us, then God help us. As of December 1st, there will be no Hallmark to shop at. That's harsh, but it's reality. It's also reality that the employees there will be out of work and adding to the unemployment statistics.

I'd like to take this opportunity to assure you that Webster's Fine Stationers will be doing everything in our power to stay viable, to stay relevant and most of all, to stay open. We promise to remain in communication with you via this blog, Facebook, Twitter and our newsletters. We promise to listen to you and your suggestions. Many of our customers are already aware of our desire to form a customer advisory board and we'll be moving forward with that plan soon. In fact, anyone who's interested on sitting on the board is welcome to contact me. I have two customers willing but I do need 3 more.

Above all things, WFS wants to thank all of you who've been so supportive of us. Please know that we appreciate you so much!

Altadena Arts Coalition Throws Another Great Party!

We asked people to come celebrate Altadena last night and boy, did they celebrate! A party was greatly needed, since the Station Fire has burned up just about every one's stress levels (see Petrea Bruchard's blogpost on this subject at her excellent blog, http://pasadenadailyphoto.blogspot.com
People arrived in droves, and it did our hearts good to see happy smiles on the faces that last week were creased in expressions of worry and fear. Credit for this photo goes to Debbi Swanson Patrick and you can see more at her insightful blog, http://www.altadenaaboveitall.com/

PROJECT:ALTADENA was a wonderful success, too, and just what the doctor ordered for our beautiful town! Deepest thanks to the creative minds of Molly Tierney and our fellow AAC compatriots Ben McGinty, Steve Salinas, Jeff Klein and Lance Anderson for their hard work putting this whole thing together. It was fabulous to see firemen from our Altadena Fire Station on El Molino enjoying themselves and receiving a well deserved thanks from the attendees. Credit for this photo goes to Timothy Rutt of Altadenablog fame:

Here's a shot of the exhibit wall, credit to Tim Rutt:

In conjunction with the Project: Altadena! exhibit, businesses along North Lake Avenue held open houses, staying open later than the norm. Here at WFS, we hosted 6 of our Altadna authors Andre Coleman, Ellen Snortland, Michele Zack, Revvell Revati, Michelle Huneven and Jervey Tervalon. What a fantastic group of minds they were! I regret that I couldn't spend as much time as I wanted to with them, due to my commitments to the Coalition, but I couldn't have asked for a nicer bunch. Each author brought their own special spice to the mix and the result was fascinating. Response was so positive and I'm hoping to have more literary events like this in the future. Here's picture of four out of the six authors mentioned, credit again to Tim Rutt:

From left to right, pictured are Andre Coleman, Ellen Snortland, Michelle Zack and Jevery Tervalon. Also very fun and delicious was Revvell Revati, author of Smoothies & Smoozies For Life and Revvellutionize Your Life In 30 Days, making samples of her smoothies in store!

Everyone enjoyed Altadena's own band, Wreck and Sow, as they fiddled, strummed and sung the evening away....credit again to Tim Rutt:


I'd like to personally thank each and every one of you who came down to enjoy the exhibit and party last night! Altadena has a diverse population, it's true, but the one truth that holds us together is that we are a town of determined and intrepid people. Nothing can deter us if we set our minds to something, not even fire. If you couldn't make it last night, we understand that life has been a little bumpy lately. There will be a next time (in December!), which will be just as good, if not better. Remember to follow us on Twitter (@lorinscott) for updates on what's happening in Altadena, with the Arts Coalition and at Webster's. We're also on Facebook so quick....become a fan of the store and get all our updates that way.

Altadena Arts Coalition's North Lake Business District Open House!

Remember how great the last North Lake Business District's open house was? The Altadena Arts Coalition is about to do it again on Saturday, September 5th! Starting at 5:00 p.m., Project: Altadena! photo exhibit will be unveiled in Galloway Alley, right behind Altadena Hardware & Steve's Bike Shop. There will be food booths highlighting selections from O'Happy Days, Chef Jeff's creations from The Coffee Gallery and sandwiches from the Park Bench Deli, plus there will be a taco booth, too! Altadena's own band, Wreck & Sow, will be playing for your enjoyment....brothers Pierre and Andre Dupuy along with band members Mike Stave, Randy Cochran and Dan Leahy are all set to tear it up. This night is going to be huge, people!

Various merchants on North Lake will be open late and offering their own entertainment and goodies....Webster's Fine Stationers will host a book signing with Altadena authors Andre Coleman, Revvell Ravati, Michele Zack, Michelle Huneven and Jervey Tervalon. We'll also have Bo Astrup's LA Photobooth outside the store so you can record your memories of this fabulous evening forever!

We urge you to come check it out. Project: Altadena! will be the largest photo-exhibit of its kind in Altadena history. Over 2,000 photos, all taken with disposable cameras by Altadena residents of what they love about "their" Altadena! One photo from each entrant will be enlarged to 8X10 and will be on display (and for sale) at Altadena Junction on El Molino Ave.

After all the anxiety over the Station Fire, Altadena could surely use a party. Come join us Saturday, Sept. 5th at 5:00 p.m. and let's celebrate Altadena!

Altadena Burns!

Fire season is always a challenging time in California, particularly for those who live in mountain and foothill communities. Altadena is one such community and as you've most likely heard, the Station fire, which started in La Canada, is still burning out of control here. From the information I've gathered, this fire is unpredictable but we thank God that the winds haven't blown the fire further down the hills than it already is.

The photo above, courtesy of Bill Westphal, shows the dangerous fire behind his neighborhood. The following photo was taken by Lori Paul, of the Altadena Foothills Conservancy, on her mad dash home from Las Vegas after they received news of the fire. This is on Lincoln Avenue north, taken yesterday:


This is a very frightening time for all of us here in Altadena and we at WFS extend our sympathies and commiseration to those who have had their lives disrupted by this fire. Having lived through the Eaton Canyon fire in 1993, when I lived in Las Flores Canyon (east and north of the top of Lake Ave., near the Cobb Estate), I know exactly how it feels. I know we can't do much to help, but I do want you to know that WFS will be open regular hours and if you need a place to come to while you sort things out, please feel free to do so. We will have Altadenablog on one of our large shipping computer monitors for you to keep up with information on, and as always, cold lemonade and cookies for all who need a quick snack and a cold drink.

We pray the fire is extinguished soon without further damage, and urge everyone to keep informed by checking Altadenablog .

It's What's Inside That Counts

"Truckin' like the doodah man
Once told me "Gotta play your hand
Sometimes the cards ain't worth a dime
If you don't lay them down"

Sometimes the lights all shining on me
Other times I can barely see
Lately it occurs to me
What a long strange trip it's been"

----The Grateful Dead


With the lyrics from this song reverberating around my head, I can't help but relate it to our life these past two years. Creating Webster's Fine Stationers from an erstwhile pass-through department has been a long, strange trip, indeed. Fraught with obstacles and setbacks, it's not a stretch of the truth to say that we've been tempted to call it quits several times. But just when things seem bleakest, Scott and I remember why we're doing this - why the challenge of creating a thriving shop against all odds is important to us. It's because we believe in Webster's, we believe in Webster's Fine Stationers and we believe in Altadena.

As we come up on our two year anniversary, we can look back and see all the tangible things we've done to improve WFS. The layout, the decor, the merchandise have all changed for the better but one thing has remained a constant that's not tangible - our dedication to providing Altadena with a shopping venue that's hip and on the cutting edge of cool! There is no other place in the area that offers as much sustainable merchandise as we do. No one offers the amount of products made right here in the U.S. as we do, and no one offers the ambiance and the customer care that we do. We prefer to deal with local vendors and artists and when we can't find what we want inside the U.S., we are trending toward companies who offer fair trade practices in those countries where they have their merchandise made.


We love to deal with those companies who donate to charities. Open Hand is one such company and we're expecting their first shipment any day now. Open Hand is based in Atlanta, Georgia, but their products are made all over the world using fair trade practices. Their employees are paid well and they make sure that they and their families are covered by adequate medical insurance. If that weren't enough, they donate 10% of their proceeds before taxes to charities here and abroad that fight human trafficking. Praols, another new company for us, makes their beautiful jewelry right here in the U.S. and employs financially distressed, stay at home moms and women who are heads of their households. Two new card lines for us, Wiley Valentine and Uncooked, Inc., are U.S. made - Wiley Valentine is made right here in Orange County, CA. As always, we feature handmade jewelry by local Altadena artisans, Jewels of the Earth by Diana, Ruthie Castro and Julie Lyn Pircher. We carry handmade cards by local artists Donna Barnes-Roberts and Athena Meltzer, and are searching for more local artists.

Companies that use recycled materials is important, too, and many of our vendors do. Most importantly, however, is their use of post-consumer waste materials and two of our major vendors do just that. Amber Lotus, maker of fine cards and calendars (in store now) and The Green Paper Company are both producers of products that contain from 30% to 100% post-consumer waste. We believe that this is important and we hope that you, do, too.


It's been said by several of our Very Important Customers that it would be wonderful if we had windows like the adjoining stores do. I wish we did, too, because what a statement we could make with them! However, price precludes that option at this time. We'd rather spend what little money we do have on products like I've mentioned above, and we do have to pay rent. Until we can address the situation, Scott came up with our new tag line, which is the title of this blogpost. My husband is a genius, because that little tag line says it all and more! It's IS what inside that counts....not only the merchandise but inside the hearts of everyone who works at Webster's Fine Stationers. Come in today and experience it for yourself! Follow us on Twitter (@lorinscott), become a fan of our store on Facebook and see our pictures on FlickR!

Saving Time & Effort at WFS!

As we prepare for the busy months ahead, we take a nostalgic look back at the quickly passing summer and wish fervently that it would never end. But end it does, and with it begins the fall season – back to school, Halloween, Thanksgiving. Everything’s a rush and it’s difficult to get everything done without pulling your hair out in frustration! Take heart, because we can help cut your stress level….relax a moment and read on.

One of our elite customers mentioned to me that she didn’t think enough people in Altadena knew what a variety of things we carry in the store. Now, I know that she was referring to our upscale stationery and giftware, but it got me thinking and I realize she was spot on. Webster’s Pharmacy never really advertised the Stationery Department much, other than sending out catalogs and flyers of hard-core office products that not many people looked at. Our new website and this blog are helping to change that. You can access our site using the link on the right-hand side of this blog. Let me explain how Webster’s Fine Stationers might be able to help you out.

There’s a good selection of back-to-school merchandise in stock right now. We’ve just received our latest shipments of great things that everyone needs for all levels – pens and pencils, erasers (highly collectable Japanese shape erasers in sets and single), sharpeners, paper, binders, notebooks, comp books, graph paper, compasses, protractors, Crayolas of all sorts and portfolios. We have poster board, tri-fold project boards, art paper and construction paper. We carry scissors and rulers and extra practice workbooks.

You might not have known that WFS is an authorized UPS and FedEx shipping outlet. We can not only accept your pre-paid drop-offs for pickup, we can package up just about anything for you. Sending your young college student’s clothing and supplies from our store is so easy and pleasant, why drive down into Pasadena, get stuck in traffic and fight for a parking place? We’ve got a huge parking lot right behind the store and you can park right by our back door. If your package is heavy, just let one of our crew members know and we’ll help you with it. Our prices are competitive and the other places just can’t match the ambiance of WFS. Will Box City or Kinko’s offer you a fresh, hot cup of coffee (with real cream and sugar) or a cookie? We will! Does either of those stores play cool music like we do? Highly doubt it. We’ll even pull up a chair for you if you get tired!

Many of our customers have given us kudos on our packaging expertise. Mrs. Margaret Brozovitch, a longtime Webster’s customer, told us just the other day how pleased she was that all her family heirlooms (porcelain and crystal) arrived safely at her niece’s home in Minnesota! One of our customers’ sisters called me from back east to tell me that the shipment sent to her from WFS was the best packing job she’d ever seen. We take what we do seriously and we care for your items as if they were our own. You can’t get that kind of service in any chain store.

WFS is also your home-office away from home. We have a high-quality Xerox fax that will get you in and out in just minutes, barring any trouble with the fax numbers. Our prices for faxing are competitive, too, we’ve called around to make sure. Kinko’s doesn’t give you a price break if you have 5 or more pages - WFS does. If you have more than 11 pages, your price goes down even more! We can also copy for you, bind booklets for you and laminate cards and pages up to 8 ½” X 14”.

Again, getting down to Pasadena or further is a chore. All that traffic, parking trouble, who needs it? The money you might save at a chain is eaten up in gas burned and frustration levels skyrocketing. Again, a gentle reminder to shop local and support your community – come see us at Webster’s Fine Stationers, we’re here to help!

The Real Final Installment of Meet The WFS Crew - Meet The Owners!

It's funny the things you forget about when you're busy. I was telling a friend about the blogposts I'd been writing - installments about our crewmembers to introduce them to our customers. I told her how much I enjoyed interviewing them and getting to know them that much better. She loved that idea and wanted to know what I wrote about Scott and I. "Oh, I told her, "I hadn't really thought about writing about us". "Well, why not?", she asked. Indeed, why not? So here's our introduction, in case you haven't met us yet, and maybe something new you didn't know about us if you already have.

Actually, I've written and rewritten this three times already. I've discovered why I'd "forgotten" to do a piece on the two of us....it's extraordinarily difficult to write about yourself. I could go on about us - our home, our dog and two cats, our daughter whom we're so proud of - but I'd rather you have pertinent information about us instead. We can get to the other things later.

When we were given the opportunity to buy WFS, our immediate thought was not how we were going to get rich from this store. Of course, we'd like the store to make enough income so that we, and all of our employees, could be comfortable and secure -that goes without saying. But our first thought was how we could use the store as an instrument to help Altadena. In our opinion, success is not just a solitary thing....if we are going to be successful, then Altadena needs to be successful, too.

You've read how we feel about Altadena from our prior postings on the subject. We are Altadena advocates! It's a beautiful town with a population of highly creative people. But people need to understand that as a town, Altadena is languishing. It gets a lot of bad press and the sad thing is that some people believe that bad press is a good thing....it keeps people away and that keeps the town secure. What the bad press actually does is attract a bad element, much the same way the Old West's lawlessness attracted known criminals. We'd like to be instrumental in changing the way Altadena is perceived by others.

The best way to do that is by increasing the revenue the small businesses in Altadena make. The more money they make, the more revenue the County of Los Angeles makes in tax dollars. A lot of people don't know that the amount of tax revenue a town makes is directly correlated to the amount of services it receives. If Altadena is on the lower end of the revenue scale, the easier it is for the Supervisors to ignore us and pass us over for any incentives, programs, etc. Scott and I would like to see a successful, thriving Altadena, where more county funds are freed up for the residents and business owners to partake in. We'd like to see improvement for the North Lake Business District. We'd like to help the district become more pedestrian-friendly - to help make shopping here a more pleasant experience than it is presently.

All these wants are just so much dust in the wind if people don't understand the logic of shopping locally. This is the reason for our advocacy of The 3/50 Project - http://www.the350project.net/home.html - we must educate our people about the dangers of big-box and chain stores. This is the reason that we're concentrating our buying at the store from companies that make their products here in the U.S. and preferably, make them in California. Even better if they make them in Los Angeles or here in Altadena. Scott and I enjoy buying from local artisans and local companies. We like the feeling we get knowing that in some small way we're helping stop the free-fall the U.S. has been on with huge corporations, like WalMart, basing their production in China and other countries. We enjoy bolstering not only our local economy, but the U.S. economy as well.

We hope that you'll attend Sunday's Positivi-TEA and give us a chance to explain our views in person. Come meet us, have some fun and hear what we've got to say....we promise to listen to you, too.

Positivi-TEA!

Before WFS became it's own entity, the Stationery Department at Webster's Village was primarily known for office products. For forty plus years, it carried a huge variety of sometimes esoteric office merchandise that not many other stores had. The amount of pens alone staggered the mind and there were more mailing envelopes than I'd ever seen anywhere. The store was legendary and rightly so. Office products were hot items and the run was good while it lasted, but times and tastes change. Demographics change and especially now, the retail climate has changed. When WalMart can offer "everything your child needs for back-to-school for $9.00", you know it's time to get off the bus. We're experiencing a paradigm shift away from what was and have entered into uncharted retail waters.

Of course, you've noticed the changes at Webster's. I've written about it in prior blogposts, back when not many people were reading them. That's changed, too, and I'm honored to know that at least a few more of you out there have been reading and following along with this blog. But that hasn't addressed the rest of the folks out there that don't interact on-line. There's still confusion and concern about the change that we hear about every day. We could say that there's a general feeling of Uncertainty. We could ignore that Uncertainty, as seems to be the present course of action, or we could confront Uncertainty and turn it around into Positivity!

That's exactly what we plan to do. We'd love you to join us on Sunday, August 16th at 3:00 P.M. for WFS' "Positivi-TEA", a celebration of Webster's history and a look toward our future. We'll be serving a proper high tea (as proper as we can be with no tables and chairs), so there will be finger food, beverages and lots of give-aways! Come have some fun - see old pictures of Webster's back in the day (you might even spot your grandma). Come learn about the new Webster's Fine Stationers and how we can fit into your shopping life. Mingle with friends, see and experience our newly arrived products and hear what our plans are for months ahead. Most importantly, come participate in a discussion of why we made the changes we did and how it affects you. We'd love for you to give us a chance to hear what you think. We'd love it if you'd make the time to come see us on Sunday. We do need to know approximately how much food to serve, so if you would please RSVP it would be appreciated. Simply email me at lorinscott_1@msn.com, sign up on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/webstersfinestationers or leave your email in our guest book at the store. See you on the 16th!

Meet the WFS Crew....Final Installment

One of the many perks of owning a small business is the privilege of working with some really great people. Sometimes when you hire someone, you just know in your gut that they're a great fit for your organization. This is not a common occurrence, as a lot of us know, but I think that WFS has been blessed in this regard. To illustrate this, let me introduce you to our two newest crew members, Tania and Sean. Both are local residents and we're so thankful that they happened into our lives here at WFS.

Tania, another full-time student at Pasadena City College, came to us on a recommendation from her friend, Betsy. As you'll recall, we wrote about Besty in our 3rd installment. Tania works part-time with us and when she's not working or in school, she's doing schoolwork. She says that she spends so much time studying that it's hard for her to help her mother, who owns a small food-service business herself. One wonders when she even has time to walk her dog to the nearby park, another favorite pastime of hers. She's studying so hard because she's got big plans....she's transferring soon to a four-year college to work toward her B.A. in sociology. When asked what she liked about working at WFS, she says, "it's satisfying to know that I'm working for a family-owned store, especially one that's been around as long as Webster's." She says that she likes that she's learned that by supporting our local businesses, we're helping to support the community.

Sean, our newest and youngest crew member, hit the pavement looking for a job after a gentle push from his mom. Just graduated from Loyola High School, he's gaining experience before going off to college this fall. So much for Sean's endless summer of fun before entering USC, where he'll minor in piano and decide later what his major will be. After talking with Sean at the job interview, we knew that his dedication to piano was a good indicator of character and perseverance. These qualities are needed here because the job isn't easy. Sean enjoys swimming, golf and writing when he's not occupied with work or music, and he loves travelling. Maybe if he stays at WFS, I'll have him help write this blog! When asked what he likes most about working at WFS, Sean says, "I like the fact that it's local; you get to see a lot of familiar faces. I also love the home-like atmosphere here."

We also like our homey little store and want to thank our crew who help make it that way. I want to thank you, our readers, for taking the time to meet and, in some small way, getting to know our crew. My greatest wish is to keep these wonderful people....people who live here, help their families here and work toward their dreams here....employed. Please shop local, it's important to all of us!