Meet The WFS Crew! Introducing Devon Pettengill

Much like any other thing in life, the whole is only as good as the sum of its parts, and that's particularly true for a retail store. Having friendly, knowledgable employees is important. In fact, these days, it's of enormous importance and that's why we're bringing you a special mid-week blogpost to introduce you to one of our new crew members, Devon Pettengill.

Devon, our lovely redheaded sprite, hails from Mill Valley, California but she's now a resident of Altadena. She's wonderfully upbeat with a gentle smile, sparkling eyes and an engaging personality. When asked what she likes about working at WFS, she states, "I love helping people find things they need....or what they didn't know they need. It's great to get a genuine smile from customers."

A self-professed stationery geek, she recalls hanging out at the local paper and pen shops as one of her fondest pastimes. "Other kids would get jazzed by going to toy stores. I was different - pretty papers, note cards, pens and letterpress gave me goosebumps!". Good thing she's in the right work environment now, and all to your benefit.

When she's not at work, creative Devon loves reading books and magazines. She's on an American history binge right now, she says. She also loves crafting and decorating her home, but writing is her number one passion. She does it so well that I've asked Devon to start contributing on our Facebook fan page. Look for her report on the usefulness of place cards on Friday, Feb. 12th. There's a link to our Facebook page on the left sidebar or simply click the title of this blogpost.

Devon's plans for the future are to find a career where she can use her skills to satisfy some one's communication needs either as a writer or a graphic designer. Our plans for Devon's future include asking her to use those same skills for the store, keeping them honed and ready.

Come in soon and say hello to Devon and let her assist you in finding exactly what you need at WFS!

Getting Your Summer On, Con't

Early summer wouldn't be complete without Father's Day and this year it happens on the exact date of the solstice. Being prepared with a gift for your dad can be challenging (at least, I always thought it was) but particularly now, since we're all looking for a good bargain.


Webster's Fine Stationers has taken the guesswork out of providing your father with a lovely gift.....our Father's Day Gifts-to-Go! We've taken some of the hottest men's products we have, put them in a handsome file box and gussied them up just for you. These are a great deal, since we've lowered the prices for them. As an example, we have a box of essential gifts for dad that would cost, if bought separately, over $50.00....our price is $39.99.


Other great dad's day gifts include:


Monteverde pens are a fabulous gift for that special dad! Pictured are the Atlantica, the Desert Sand, Mona Kea and Jewelria Leather and Cork pens.











This is the Invincia, a handsome pen any man would love to own and it includes a 4g flashdrive in the cap!



Stationery suitable for gentlemen is not that easy to find, either. Luckily, Webster's Fine Stationers carries Crane & Company and they have excellent selections:


Or, a Waterman gift set might be appropriate:






All in all, you can't go wrong with a Father's Day gift from WFS! Remember, too, that we elegantly giftwrap purchases over $20.00.

Early April News

Here we are on April 9th already. Wow, does time fly when you're busy! Looks like we're in the middle of Spring Break, as it's been so quiet in the store these past few days. During this downtime we'll hopefully be able to get our taxes completed then have a spring cleaning and revamping of decor. I always look forward to a decor re-do, it's fun to rearrange and make things look fresh. You'll have to drop by and check it out soon.

We're expecting in a shipment of beautiful new stationery items soon, in addition to all the new items we've recently received. If you haven't been in yet to check, you should come see. New thank you notes have arrived and I'm in love with them all! We've gotten some gorgeous letterpress t.y. cards and blank note cards, all available by the pack. Also new home announcements/invitations to come visit, bridal shower invites and wedding thank yous. To be put out soon are the most beautiful ribbon and crystal embellished note cards....we're very excited about this new line. Good thing about them is that they're available by the single card. We'll also be putting out some very nice Mother's Day, Father's Day and Graduation cards.....very fashion-forward on fine papers that will be appreciated by the recipient.

Also on the arrival horizon is new product from the talented midwestern designer, Mary Carol Garrity....this time mostly home office and desk accoutrements to spiff up your office area. Trays for clips, pencil cups, small wastepaper baskets and ceramic boxes for stamps & small items....all color and pattern coordinated. If you're ready to give your office a cosmetic redo, whether it be at home or elsewhere, let us help you bring it all together and give it that famous Mary Carol look. I'll give a heads-up when the new merchandise arrives.....until then, I'm looking forward to seeing you soon!

Our Vision For WFS and a Lament About Insensitive Customers

Since Scott and I bought WFS last October, we've made some significant improvements, as I mentioned in my last post. Not all of the improvements involve remodeling - much has changed on the sales floor, too. While we are trying to retain the integrity of the original stationery/office product mix, we're in the process of winnowing out items that are not specific to our niche. We found that there was a slew of merchandise that truly belonged in a hardware store on our shelves, contributing to a messy, disjointed look. We firmly believe that to be successful, we must narrow our focus to fine stationery, gifts and office products, but that's no reason why the store should look so utilitarian. This is partly why we added home and office decor, and we're very excited about this addition!

Previously to taking over WFS I dabbled in decorating, renovating our home and helping friends with theirs. I discovered that I love decorating and design, so adding these elements to our store allows me an outlet for creativity, just as building and design allows Scott an outlet for his (he designed and helped build our new office and storage space). Together I believe we're an awesome team. We love that our new look is fresh, can change with the seasons and adds interest to the store. Customers seem excited by it, too....there's no excuse why your office, whether at home or elsewhere, has to look like an end-cap display at Staples. Now you have the option to personalize it a bit with things that are functional and good looking. We've brought in artwork....some original oil paintings, some prints and giclees, adorable wall and door signs, faux florals and much more. We'd love for you to keep checking in with us, as we're receiving new things for Spring now.

We had a rough moment the day before yesterday....why do some customers have to be so unfeeling and rude? As I wrote in the first post, we understand how our long-standing customers feel about the changes the entire store has made and we certainly sympathize with them about Webster's  lack of communication....but that doesn't give license to be hurtful. An older woman walked through our store, apparently not noticing that I was down on my hands and knees on the sales floor, moving merchandise from one gondola to another. As she got nearer, I could her her making denouncements about the changes, loudly exclaiming to all in her path how much she hated it. One of my associates, Leilana, asked her if she remembered what the "old store" looked like, trying to point out the many improvements we'd made. This "lady" harummped and tartly said that it looked messy and crowded now. At that point, I popped my head up and asked her if she was serious. I really wish I had a picture of the way our store looked before we started the renovation....it was dark, cramped and as I've said, had a mish-mash of products jumbled around. We're trying to streamline our look and raise the bar toward higher-end merchandise.  There's no way we can compete with stores like WalMart, Staples, Target and Costco so why try? At any rate, I'm sure this particular woman and the myriad of other customers who've made it extremely clear to us that they don't like change, haven't really thought about how their comments make us feel when we've worked SO hard to bring the store to where it is now. I realize that there's a long way to go before we're satisfied, but we've made excellent progress so far.....I really wish they'd understand that we're trying to make it nice for them, not just ourselves. We couldn't control what Webster's Corporation did or how they did it, but we can be more communicative with our customers by using this blog. Thank you for allowing me to rant.