Gift and stationery stores to merge in new location

FRIDAY, JULY 1: Pulp & Circumstance is combining its two Hamilton stores to better serve its customers.

Kristi Grayston, owner, said the gift store and its sister paper store are scheduled to open in Washington Lane next week — perhaps as early as tomorrow.

The stationery store was formerly at Queen Street and the gift store on Front Street.

The new retail outlet will be located in the premises formerly occupied by Northrock Communications, which has moved to the upper level of the Washington Lane walkway.

Ms Grayston said: “Last year we moved our gift store from the corner on to Front Street and it has been really hard on the business.

“We needed to bring our stores closer together.

“It has frustrated our customers because our stores were so far apart.

“I really thought people had a better understanding what was in what store, but they’ve been really frustrated.

“They would come in one store and say they wanted something that was in the other store.

“We’ve been looking for quite a while to bring the stores together and find a permanent home for them. This is an ideal spot.”

Ms Grayston said there would be a soft opening at the new location on Saturday, at the latest Monday.

An official grand opening will not take place until September.

Ms Grayston said this was because many of the business’s loyal customers will be on vacation for part of the summer.

She added: “Plus it’s going to take us a while to get everything worked out.”