Paperchase was in the spotlight over its Valentine’s Day cards after an article in The Sun blasted the retailer for its x-rated range, but it took action swiftly, gaining praise from its customers.
Customers visiting the retailer got hot under the collar over some of the explicit messages that appeared on some of its Valentine’s Day cards, even though they were displayed on the top shelves with corresponding shelf sign that said ‘Rude cards here. You have been warned’.
Frances Burkle, buying director of Paperchase said: “This has obviously been a hot topic for us. Paperchase operates in a fashion space so we certainly see the opportunity to push the boundaries and to take risks on occasions.”
Recognising that this year some of its Valentine’s cards were intentionally more ‘adult’ in nature, all of Paperchase’s stores were instructed to display them on top shelves with the warning signs as to their nature.
As Frances explained, following the feedback Paperchase received via social media it took the decision to remove the cards from sale. “By doing this we did get very positive feedback from customers for listening, and actually a considerable amount of positive feedback for stocking the cards in the first place,” she said.
