PRESS RELEASE

Issued 6 Aug 2012 – for immediate release
 

Webster's celebrates 40 years of business

Webster's Pen Shop, the group of six stores retailing high-quality pens and accessories in London and the Southeast, is celebrating its fortieth year of successful trading.

To mark the occasion – along with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics – the company is decorating the entire frontage of its very first store in Petts Wood with a timeline of colourful graphics that illustrate the milestones during those 40 years for Webster's, the local area, the UK and the world. From Britain joining the Common Market to world population hitting 7 billion – via the Thatcher years, Live Aid, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the rise of the Internet – the timeline is a fascinating snapshot of the history of the past 40 years.

Luxury products
As well as the timeline at Petts Wood,the company is installing anniversarywindow graphics at its five other stores,featuring a specially designed 40-year logoand the slogan, ‘Celebrating 40 years of selfexpression'. Explained Andrew Webster, Managing Director of the family-run business, "We're delighted that our 40-year anniversary coincides with a summer of celebration for the whole country and that's why we decided to invest in our new window graphics. As well as our new store decals, you may also spot our anniversary advertising on buses in London and the Southeast."

A growing business
Webster's Pen Shop was founded by Andrew's parents, Len and Jacqui Webster, back in 1972 when they opened their first store in Petts Wood. Selling top-brand pens plus a range of stationery products, the shop was an instant hit with the local community. Len and Jacqui built on this success by involving other family members as the business grew and opening further stores – in the Glades shopping centre, Bromley, in 1993; the Whitgift Centre, Croydon, in 1995; the flagship store at Bluewater in 1999, managed by the Websters' daughter, Jo; the Brighton store in 2004; and another store at Bluewater in partnership with US pen and accessories supplier, AT Cross, in 2008. In addition, the business grasped the nettle of e-commerce in 2000 when its online store went live at www.websterspenshop.co.uk.

Personal service
"So much has happened in these past 40years," said Andrew Webster, "that theworld is very different now to how it wasback in 1972. I'm pleased to say, however,that the demand for handcrafted, luxuryproducts has not waned over the years.In fact," he continued, "our company isweathering the storm of this latest recessionremarkably well. I believe that the reasonfor our continued success is partly due tothe quality of the brands we represent –such as Parker, Sheaffer, Waterman, Filofax,Cross, Lamy and Mont Blanc, to name buta few – but also to the level of personalservice that we provide. People know thatthey can trust us to recommend the rightproduct, retail it at a competitive price andprovide any after-sales service that theymight need."

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Images
High-resolution versions of the images below are available on request from Dave Price at Blackfox Media: davep@blackfox.co.uk

Len Webster.jpg
Len Webster – who opened the first Webster's Pen Shop with his wife, Jacqui, in Petts Wood in 1972 – pictured at the company's flagship store at Bluewater
 

Webster's 40-year logo.jpg
The specially designed logo for the 40^thanniversary of Webster's Pen Shop

For further information, please contact:
Len Webster, Director
Websters Group
Tel: 07900 218940

or

Paul Sawyer, Finance Director
Websters Group
Tel: 07802 883116