Stationary stores like Papeterie Harvard are somewhat of a rare find in our modern times. With so many companies transferring to paperless office practices and so many online companies offering many of the services often found at stationary stores, it can be hard to turn a profit in this business.
That is exactly what Sahan Markaryan and his partner Arsak have discovered over recent years. They opened Papeterie Harvard on Rue Sherbrooke in 1983, and with many decades of experience in the industry, they are finding there has never been a more difficult time to stay in business.
“At the time when we opened Sherbrooke was a much busier place. Lately, in the last 10 years I would say, it has been much quieter,” Sahan says. “Mainly it’s our services that give us an edge because you can't do all these things online or at one of the big stores.”
Check out Papeterie Harvard if you want handmade, eco-friendly books. The staff even bind their books in-store – how cool is that? This shop has a fine selection of pens for writing in those beautifully bound books, and the owners, Arsak and Sahan Markaryan (who are brothers), also offer basic printing services for local businesses.
If you’re a designer or a writer, be sure to stop by Papeterie Harvard in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. In addition to offering paper, pens and greeting cards of all sorts, the paper store also offers printing and binding services. Come say hello to the owners – they know all their regular customers by name.