Biology of Business

Paper Source

Specialty Retail · Founded 1983 · Defunct 2021

By Alex Denne

Paper Source's 2021 bankruptcy demonstrates how specialty retail faces digital obsolescence. The stationery retailer selling paper products, cards, and gifts watched digital communication eliminate its core categories. Like a species whose food source is disappearing, Paper Source faced gradual starvation as paper became passé.

Key Facts

1983
Founded