WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
As per the news here.
This seems it might be quite... significant for those of us in the UK, maybe?
It might not change anything and I have nothing but good things to say about Cult Pens. I don't have much to say about WHSmith - it's such an ubiquitous institution that it's a bit like having opinions on socks.
It'll be interesting to see what happens with the tie-up. Any thoughts?
Re: WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
It will be interesting to see what happens next. :confused:
Re: WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
This is very sad news. W.H.Smith is nothing like the retailer it once was and now sells generic and dull stationery. I don’t think it even sells Basildon Bond writing paper any more.
I have a sense of foreboding about the future of Cult Pens now :-(
Re: WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
Oh dear, oh dear. W H smiths. Not good IMO
Re: WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
Hmm. Active pioneering online pen specialists chain themselves to lumbering out-dated high street giant. What could possibly go wrong?
Re: WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
Quote:
Originally Posted by
grainweevil
Hmm. Active pioneering online pen specialists chain themselves to lumbering out-dated high street giant. What could possibly go wrong?
Indeed. :applause:
Re: WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
It will be interesting to see what happens. I've always found cult pens to have middle of the road pricing but what they excel at is variety.
Never really purchased much from WhSmith B&M stores. But found some of there online pricing to be very reasonable especially a few years ago.
Re: WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
More than likely Cult Pens will just use the name and resources ....stay Cult Pens, which is obviously a better business model.
Re: WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
The only good thing I remember WH smiths doing was having very rare sale on Lamy 2000 for under £100.
Very limited stock though and only medium I think.
Re: WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
A large plc, with declining retail sales, buys a small online company with an excellent reputation and i assume good profitability.
WH Smith would need to be quite foolish to alter a successful business.
Re: WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
Quote:
Originally Posted by
migo984
This is very sad news. W.H.Smith is nothing like the retailer it once was and now sells generic and dull stationery. I don’t think it even sells Basildon Bond writing paper any more.
I have a sense of foreboding about the future of Cult Pens now :-(
Maybe W.H.Smith is trying to revive their former glory by leveraging Cult Pens, which has a good and deserved reputation from anything I've heard and read about them.
Re: WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
Oh, I don't know. On the one hand, I applaud grainweevil's comment. On the other, I ask where is the imagination that made England great. CultPens boutique in every high street in Northumberland? CultPens designing and making its own brand of FPs, thus reviving the manufacturing sector, Arkwright and Brunel cheering from their graves? Where is the vision? It is easy enough to succumb to a very tired feeling.
Re: WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
Quote:
Originally Posted by
penwash
Quote:
Originally Posted by
migo984
This is very sad news. W.H.Smith is nothing like the retailer it once was and now sells generic and dull stationery. I don’t think it even sells Basildon Bond writing paper any more.
I have a sense of foreboding about the future of Cult Pens now :-(
Maybe W.H.Smith is trying to revive their former glory by leveraging Cult Pens, which has a good and deserved reputation from anything I've heard and read about them.
Need to remember the scale of things here, WH Smith with a branch in every city in the country and most if not all of the towns, every airport and major railway station. Cultpens as far as I know just one location, an online seller with perhaps 20 employees.
Some perspective is needed.
Re: WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
Not too much perspective. It is important not to snicker. Or cringe.
Re: WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jerome Tarshis
Not too much perspective. It is important not to snicker. Or cringe.
hmmm, yes. watch.
Re: WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
WHS does still sell Basildon Bond; my little on does. It also has a limited range of Parker and Lamy, the ink cartridges are expensive - Quink, Lamy, Waterman too sold there. At one large store, I was able to buy Rhodia.
One charity shop find was a leather case with WHS quality bond!
Re: WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Morgaine
WHS does still sell Basildon Bond; my little on does. It also has a limited range of Parker and Lamy, the ink cartridges are expensive - Quink, Lamy, Waterman too sold there. At one large store, I was able to buy Rhodia.
One charity shop find was a leather case with WHS quality bond!
WHSmith website lists Basildon Bond, so I can't see how they wouldn't still sell it.
Your charity shop find was great! :)
Re: WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
Three Candlesticks too, look you.*
*Sorry, random attack of Welshness there, for no known reason.
Re: WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Morgaine
WHS does still sell Basildon Bond; my little on does. It also has a limited range of Parker and Lamy, the ink cartridges are expensive - Quink, Lamy, Waterman too sold there. At one large store, I was able to buy Rhodia.
One charity shop find was a leather case with WHS quality bond!
My two local branches stopped selling Basildon Bond in store. I asked a while back as I was buying it to send to a pen pal in the US who uses it. The duty managers told me it was up to each individual store (to an extent) about what to stock. They referred me to their website but I don’t want to buy online.
Re: WHSmith has bought Cult Pens
Quote:
Originally Posted by
GTG
The only good thing I remember WH smiths doing was having very rare sale on Lamy 2000 for under £100.
Very limited stock though and only medium I think.
Yes, I got my first Lamy 2000 in that sale - absolutely ridiculous price, I think about sixty quid!