SMART Papers Launches Treasures: A Comprehensive Packaged Retail Line of Premium Scrapbooking and Hobby Papers.

HAMILTON, Ohio -- SMART Papers

--New, high-impact retail packs and customized POP displays enable North American printing paper distributors to reap profits at their paper stores and via retail/wholesale customers

--Scrapbooking for the memories market is one of the fastest-growing segments in premium papers today

SMART Papers has established a new "ready-to-market" retail packaged line of scrapbooking and cardmaking papers for paper merchants. The new Treasures(TM) line offers high-turn products for the booming scrapbooking and crafts markets.

Treasures brings paper merchants and their customers premium cast coated Kromekote(R) and premium uncoated Carnival(R) and Benefit(R) cardstock papers in small-count, high-impact retail packs. No other North American papermaker offers paper merchants a comprehensive line of papers in a market-ready retail program.

SMART Papers CEO and President Tim Needham said the company will work with distribution companies to create customized retail and incentive programs. He said the company can quickly and cost-effectively custom-make papers and private label packaging for merchants or their customers.

"Paper is the foundation of the entire scrapbooking and cardmaking phenomenon -- and retail packs are one of the most cost-effective and quickest ways to leverage the market demand," said Needham. "Our retail program provides merchants an easy, low-risk method of entering very profitable paper markets."

Scrapbooking, cardmaking and all other related paper arts account for the fastest growing segment of the $29 billion craft and hobby supplies market today, according to the Craft & Hobby Association of Elmwood Park, NJ.

The U.S. scrapbook market alone had more than $2.5 billion in sales last year, up from $500 million five years ago. More than one in five households -- 25-plus million Americans -- participate in scrapbooking and stamping. Females, school age children to seniors, are active scrapbookers and crafters -- many of them spending in excess of $1,000 a year on supplies.

How Paper Merchants Are Tapping The Scrapbooking and Paper Crafts Market

A small but growing number of North American paper merchants are tapping the scrapbooking market and related business niches through their own merchant paper stores. They are also doing it by targeting retail outlets that cater to the growing business throughout North America, including craft and hobby stores, many photo supply stores as well as discount department chains.

Another large merchant market opportunity is the fast-growing number of scrapbooking specialty outlets worldwide. There are more than 2,500 scrapbooking retail stores in North America alone -- up from just 300 five years ago.

"With this kind of market opportunity, there's very high-margin market share for merchants to obtain," said Needham. "With our assistance, merchants can establish successful multi-channel sales strategies quickly and easily."

Treasures Retail Packs Feature High-Demand Colors, Textures and Sizes; Attractive Pricing Means Strong Margins For Merchants

The Treasures line features a variety of deep colors, textures and sizes in small-count packages to offer unique, premium options for scrapbook and craft projects. Each pack has colors that are complementary to others in the retail line.

The packaging features high-quality, high-impact visuals that offer merchants solid marketing pull-through.

SMART Papers' cast coated Kromekote as well as its premium uncoated Carnival and Benefit gradelines are all a part of the new Treasures line. The packages include ultra-glossy Kromekote C1S in soft baby blue and pink, Carnival's saturated jewel tone colors and Benefit's soft pastels, fiber-added sheets and unique finishes.

The Treasures line has 26 SKUs packaged in various arrangements of 8.5x11 or 12x12 size sheets. Solid color packs and combination packs of colors and finishes are offered. The finishes include Cordwain, Eggshell, Vertical and Smooth.

All papers are photo-safe, acid free, buffered, archival and have a high opacity for no show-through. They also feature fade resistant dyes that ensure colors remain vibrant. The papers are durable, which is important in scrapbooking, and they are also exceptionally well-suited for matting, framing, stamping, punching, die-cutting and embossing.

Laurie Marchetti, Product Manager-Digital and Retail Papers for SMART Papers, said that several years ago the company began noticing unusually strong demand for its Carnival Red and other deep-saturated colors. "That directed us to look for ways of broadening our commitment to the scrapbooking and crafts markets. We determined what were the most popular colors, weights, textures and finishes -- and developed Treasures based on that."

Custom-made papers and packaging programs are also available for merchants. With SMART Papers' retail packaging capabilities, the company is able to handle all underlying issues surrounding a merchant's retail needs, from concept design to final product delivery.

Hamilton, Ohio-based SMART Papers, LLC, is one of North America's largest independent producers of premium coated and uncoated printing papers. SMART is home to the brands Kromekote(R), Knightkote(R) Matte, Carnival(R) and Benefit(R). SMART has also developed one of the industry's largest offerings of cast coated and uncoated papers for digital laser and inkjet printing equipment under the brand SMART Digital(TM) Papers. For more information call 800-443-9773 or visit the website at www.smartpapers.com.