LATEST NEWS

Job Title: Assistant Manager (Full-time)

Reporting to: General Manager

Welcome to The Paper Place – a unique hub of creativity and inspiration in Toronto, dedicated to all things paper! From exquisite handmade sheets to innovative craft kits, we have been providing our community with an eclectic array of paper products for over a decade.

We are currently seeking a passionate, creative, and detail-oriented individual to join our team as a full-time Assistant Manager. In this role, you will be the backbone of our day-to-day operations, orchestrating a symphony of tasks that ensure our store remains a haven for our loyal customers.

Responsibilities:

Staff Development and Training

• In collaboration with the General Manager, take an active role in the onboarding and training of new staff, ensuring they are equipped with the knowledge and skills to perform their roles effectively. This includes training on our product lines, store policies, customer service standards, and operational procedures.
• Act as a mentor and coach to the store team, providing regular feedback to help staff improve their skills and meet their potential. Create a positive and supportive work environment that encourages staff to excel.
• Promote a culture of continuous learning and improvement, encouraging staff to share their insights and ideas on how to improve the store operations and customer experience.
• Recognize and celebrate staff achievements and successes, fostering a sense of team cohesion and morale.

Customer Service

• Embody and uphold our commitment to exceptional customer service, fostering a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere.
• Resolve escalated customer complaints with grace and efficiency, adhering to our return and exchange policies.
• Respond to customer inquiries via phone and email with professionalism and creativity.

Product Management

• Collaborate closely with our main supplier for weekly orders and new additions, maintaining the high-quality selection our customers love. 
• Ensure new paper samples are promptly showcased in our binders, sparking inspiration for our customers.

Store Displays

• Arrange captivating store and window displays that showcase the beauty of our products and ignite the imagination of passersby.

Workshops

• Organize and coordinate a regular schedule of creative workshops, acting as the liaison for guest instructors, and managing the registration system.

Media/Donations

• Handle inquiries from media and stylists for product donations and discounts, becoming an ambassador for our brand.
• Manage donation requests, thoughtfully distributing contributions within our yearly budget.

Store Maintenance

• Oversee the maintenance of our creative sanctuary, ensuring all staff are contributing to a clean, organized, and inviting environment.

Banking

• Conduct bank deposits and manage in-store change, ensuring the smooth financial operation of our store.

Qualifications:

• 2-3 years experience in a retail management position.
• Exceptional customer service, management, and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a high volume of tasks with creativity and efficiency.
• A passion for creativity and an appreciation for the beauty and versatility of paper.

At The Paper Place, we believe in the magic of creativity, the joy of discovery, and the power of paper to bring these together. If you share our passion and are eager to contribute to our community of creators, we would love to hear from you. Apply today and take the first step towards joining our paper-loving family!

To submit your application, please submit a cover letter and resume to us at info(at)thepaperplace.ca

March 7th, 2021

I know many of you are reaching out to see if we will be reopening tomorrow as some of the restrictions lift here in Toronto. The short answer is we will be remaining curbside pickup only for a while while we weigh our options.

Like many small businesses our once lovingly merchandised store has been pretty much converted into a fulfillment warehouse which has been absolutely necessary to keep up with our international & local shipments and curbside pickups. To convert it back to a fully functioning shop to allow for just 25% capacity is a tricky thing and we are looking at all our options at this point.

We have also dealt with the reality of Covid amongst our staff and the repercussions of having to fully close for the most critical 2 weeks of the retail year back in December so weighing staying open in our limited capacity vs the possibility of fully closing again is very much part of the equation given the case count and variants present in Toronto right now.

We may stay curbside only for some time or just open up a section of the shop or fully open... we just need a little more time to figure it out.

I have agonized over what to do and even more on how to communicate it to everyone. The last few weeks have been extremely challenging for all of us at the shop. There has been a palpable shift in customer interaction and it is clear a lot of people have lost their patience with us being closed. My staff and I have been yelled at, sworn at and even had a mask-less individual push their way into the shop and refuse to leave even when we threatened to call the police. The small business love-in we experienced at the beginning of the pandemic has definitely shifted and I know this isn’t the news some wanted to hear.

A huge thank you to all of you who continue along this rollercoaster ride with us with patience and understanding, this reimagining of the shop every few months has taken a toll on all of us and we are so grateful for all of you that have stuck with us ❤️

I have spent the last few days talking of nothing other than what my husband Stephen & I should do about our shops being open right now. We have read article after article about how imperative social distancing is to flatten the curve here in Canada so we have made the extremely difficult decision that, after today, we are closing both The Paper Place and our other store, @curiosasociety, to the public and moving to online only for the time being.

We have truly agonized over this and I know people may have different reactions to this news but please know we did not make this decision lightly. We understand the long term financial risks that lay ahead for us (believe me, we did the spreadsheets!), but we have to follow our hearts and the health and safety of our team and community are more important.

Please know that our staff will be taken care of during this time and we are all looking forward to when things return to normal 🤞

We will keep everyone updated as things evolve!

Wishing health, happiness and love to everyone. It’s just for a while - we can do this ❤️

We are currently looking for a full time Receiving & Product Co-ordinator. Reporting directly to the Store Manager, this unique position within our small business offers the opportunity to engage in a variety of duties related to receiving merchandise and the ongoing development of our online shop.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING:

Receiving & Inventory

• Receives merchandise, checks & signs delivery slips, handles COD payments, assists with unloading as necessary
• Unpacks merchandise, verifies quantities & quality of items against supporting documents, accepts or returns merchandise according to established procedures, calculates pricing according to existing guidelines, affixes barcodes and price stickers
• Organizes the distribution of merchandise, new or previously out of stock products are put aside to be integrated into floor displays, also responsible for contacting customers with special orders or back in stock requests when products arrive
• Communicates with suppliers and courier companies in order to expedite or trace shipments and also to return merchandise that does not conform to specifications or purchase orders
• Organizes annual inventory, responsible for conducting intermittent stock checks, remedying any negative stock numbers in the POS system, ensures that supplier pricing is accurate in the POS at all times
• Packages and prices any unpackaged items prepared in store
• Updates online platform for buyer indicating suppliers with low stock and any customer special orders or product requests
• Creates seasonal and occasional promotions in both the retail POS system and online shop (Shopify)
• Maintains a clean and orderly work station, packing up recycling and garbage from received shipments promptly

• Ensures that new products are added to online store when they arrive by creating product descriptions and adding photos, weights and supporting tags to the product record
• Uploads new items to the online shop and ensures that all information, including product categories, is accurate

• Enters invoices for received orders into Quickbooks
• Files invoices
• Liaises with suppliers in regards to backorders, short shipments, damages & credits

• Covers the sales floor as needed

• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to lift up to 50lbs unassisted
• Organized and self motivated with high standards of quality and efficiency
• Previous experience in a fast paced retail environment

Please submit a cover letter highlighting your relevant experience and skills along with your resume to hiring(at)thepaperplace.ca

We are currently looking for a photographer to quote on some product photography for our website! We have a number of papers (40-60) to be photographed flat in their full sheet size (20x30”) and are looking for someone to quote on a per sheet basis. Please submit your quote and any links to your work to hiring@thepaperplace.ca :)

“How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?”

― Dr. Seuss

Great news, we will be open extended hours throughout December!

If you are planning to visit us, please note we will be closing early on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, along with being closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Our in store customers haven't been able to get enough of these gorgeous Thai Marbled Papers and we didn't want our online customers to miss out on all the fun! These versatile papers are available in a regular sheet and a textured momi paper as well!

Chiyogami is definitely our most popular paper!! Strong, beautiful and versatile, these papers are available in a seemingly endless selection of colours and patterns. It is easy to admire Chiyogami for it's beauty alone but what is even more impressive is understanding the time and craftsmanship that goes into making just a single sheet.

The base paper of each sheet of Chiyogami is made of a combination of kozo and sulphite. The kozo gives the paper it's characteristic strength and softness while the sulphite makes it possible to produce these papers at a reasonable cost.

To create a single sheet of Chiyogami, each base sheet is silkscreened with as many colours as there are in that particular pattern – in most cases, four or five colours. After the base sheet has been pasted to a wooden board for stability during the silkscreening process, the first screen silkscreen is registered and ink applied. Each sheet of paper is dried on racks to allow the ink to dry between applications. The screens for subsequent colours are painstakingly registered so that the colour layers lie precisely in relation to each other.

The following are samples showing each stage of this process. The last picture shows the result of this labour intensive process – an incredibly beautiful sheet of Chiyogami! With close to 700 patterns available, we are proud to carry one of the largest selections of this amazing paper available anywhere!