WORDS BY ANNIE STUDHOLME
Paper Plus, a 100% locally owned and operated bookseller and stationery retailer, has proudly been serving the Mid-Canterbury community for generations.
Originally, Pickfords Booksellers and Stationers, former Ashburton borough councillor Russell Anstiss purchased the business in 1964. He later expanded the original small shop into the Bank of New Zealand building next door, making way for the current Paper Plus store.
In 1983, Russell and four other booksellers banded together to take on the likes of Whitcoulls, establishing an independent stationers’ group, originally called Nationwide Stationers, of which Russell was the founding chairman. The new co-operative franchise was met with great enthusiasm. By the following year, it had grown to 62 members (store owners), and in 1990, it was rebranded as Paper Plus NZ Limited, expanding into a nationwide chain with more than 115 stores offering books, stationery, and postal services.
In 2011, the Paper Plus brand underwent a radical overhaul to enter a new era of retailing, introducing new store designs, brand colours, and ranges.
Its online store went live in 2019, providing Paper Plus customers with a seamless shopping experience, whether they want to shop in store, collect from store, or have their shopping delivered. Using its nationwide store network, it can provide Click & Collect services in many local communities that other nationwide brands cannot. Where possible, it sources online orders from one of their local stores to support these local communities.
But despite its continued growth, the hallmark of the Paper Plus brand remains, its strong sense of community, family spirit, and customer-centric focus.
Every Paper Plus store is 100% locally owned and operated. Members are small business owners who live locally, employ local staff, and are committed to and heavily involved in their local communities, schools, and businesses. And the Ashburton store is no different.
Having started out fixing typewriters, fax machines, photocopiers, and cash registers, current owner Terry McNab has worked his way up through the business since Russell was still at the helm. Originally a car mechanic, Terry ran the business’s service department in the early 1980s, but over time slowly became more interested in the shop side. In 1996, he bought 51 per cent of the business, and the remaining shares in 2010.
Paper Plus Ashburton’s ability to keep changing to meet the community’s needs has seen it stand the test of time. “We’ve had to keep evolving. We have taken a few hits, but we are still hanging in there,” says Terry. “Every year, I think about what’s going to die next. People have long said it would be greeting cards, but they’re still here, stronger than ever. I think there will always be a place for books. We have come through the electronic era. We started selling them, and it lasted about two years. Magazines are the one area that’s certainly taking a hit.”
Natural evolution, coupled with its dedication to customer service, has meant the store remains the go-to retailer for books, quality stationery, toys, gifts, greeting cards, office supplies and magazines, as well as offering customers the added benefit of agency services such as Lotto, NZ Post, and the AA. “It’s more than just a job for us; it’s something we are passionate about. We go out of our way to try to help our customers. It’s about being local, knowing people, and people knowing and trusting us,” he says.
Paper Plus Ashburton has a long-standing, symbiotic relationship with Ruralco. “We have always involved ourselves with Ruralco over the years, getting in behind them and supporting different events.” It’s a special relationship, says Terry.