Paper Source brings creative mindset to Las Vegas Valley

Those looking for custom printing, personalized stationery, creative gift wrapping and unique gift ideas may be in luck as Chicago-based Paper Source made its way into the Las Vegas area, opening a store at Tivoli Village on June 6 and a second location on July 11 at Town Square.

“Our tagline and mantra is to do something creative every day,” Paper Source Trainer Milah Jowers said. “We give each staff member 15 minutes during every shift to work on something creative. It’s something we’re passionate about, and it’s the cornerstone of our company.”

Aside from the rows of greeting cards, fine papers and craft accessories, Paper Source also offers workshops and private parties so their customers can participate in craft projects such as stamping and card making.

“Once you start doing it, it becomes addictive,” Jowers said. “A fun, homemade gift is heartwarming and there’s a certain authenticity that comes with it.”

According to a Paper Source spokeswoman, the company, which has been around since 1983, decided to open two Las Vegas area locations to satisfy consumer demand.

“These two stores will be a great start,” the spokeswoman said.

Sam Schaul, a retail real estate expert and volunteer for the Las Vegas-based SCORE, a nationwide nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs, said Paper Source’s decision to open two stores in Las Vegas offers customers convenience.

“This is a market where most people don’t cross the Strip; people who live in Henderson stay on that side of town and people in Summerlin stay on that side,” he said. “Most major retailers have at least two stores in town because people don’t like to cross over.”

Schaul also said that the products and services that Paper Source offers are something with which customers want to be actively involved.

“Customers want to see it and feel it,” he said. “They may want to see things online, but that kind of stationery business is more personal than doing it over the Internet. There are certain parts of the business that people like to touch and this happens to be one of them.”

“Retail is putting yourself in the customer’s shoes, not selling a product you can get over the Internet and that’s what makes this work,” Schaul added.

Town Square Manager Karen Scruton said Paper Source is filling a void in the Las Vegas area.

“We’ve needed this for a while,” she said. “We’re bringing something that hasn’t been here and something that our customers need.”

Scruton added that she’s anticipating being involved in the creative process as customers create invitations, business cards and personalized stationery.

“I like to be involved with the creativity and here we’ll walk you through every step,” she said. “I’m looking forward to meeting the people who need us the most as well as bring them here once they know we’re here.”

In the future, Scruton said, she hopes Paper Source becomes a household name.

“I want to be the go-to people for custom printing and for customers to see that we can do so much more,” she said. “And if we do our job right it’ll happen really quickly.”

Contact reporter Ann Friedman at afriedman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588. Follow @AnnFriedmanRJ on Twitter.