Trade Talks Tuesday: Papersalt on Meaningful Gifting, Made-in-USA Production and Growing Through Wholesale

The strongest gifts often succeed because they express something the customer immediately recognises — whether that's a feeling they have struggled to put into words or a joke that makes them think, "That's me."

That emotional connection has been central to Papersalt from the beginning. The brand started with a simple question — "Can we do our small part to put more good into the world?" — and initially answered it through books designed to help people navigate real-life experiences and conversations.

Today, Papersalt has grown far beyond books, with more than 600 products spanning gifts and stationery, from sentimental and inspirational pieces to humorous stickers and magnets. Despite that expansion, relatability remains an important filter for new products, alongside feedback from the retailers selling them.

The brand also designs, manufactures and fulfils its products from its own facility in Washington State, giving it greater control over production while enabling custom and location-specific ranges at quantities accessible to independent retailers.

For this edition of Trade Talks Tuesday, we spoke with National Sales Manager Annie McCall about maintaining a clear identity across a growing product range, why emotion drives purchasing, the commercial advantages of producing in-house and how physical and digital wholesale channels can work together.

About Papersalt

Papersalt is a US gift, book and stationery brand creating products designed to be thoughtful, relatable and often playful.

Beginning with books centred around real-life experiences and conversations, the company has expanded into a range of more than 600 products, including books, stickers, magnets, Lunch Notes and other gift and stationery lines.

Papersalt designs, prints and fulfils its products from its own facility in Washington State, allowing the company to manage quality, inventory and turnaround times while offering customisation and location-specific products at quantities suited to independent retailers.

Website: https://www.papersalt.com/

Papersalt started with a simple question: "Can we do our small part to put more good into the world?" How has that original purpose shaped the brand as you've grown?

That question still guides what we create.

Papersalt began with books designed to help people navigate real-life experiences and conversations in an honest, approachable way. As we've expanded into gifts and stationery, the products have become more varied, but the purpose remains the same: to make people feel encouraged, understood or simply a little happier.

Sometimes that comes through a meaningful message, and sometimes it comes through humour.

You've expanded from your signature books into more than 600 products across gifts and stationery. How do you decide when an idea is strong enough to become a new product or category without losing the identity of the brand?

We look for ideas that feel immediately relatable.

Whether it's a book, sticker, magnet or set of Lunch Notes, there should be a clear emotional connection and a reason someone would want to give it, display it or keep it for themselves.

We also listen closely to our retailers. They give us valuable insight into what customers are responding to and where there may be room for something new.

Even as we explore new categories, our voice remains consistent: thoughtful, honest, conversational and often a little playful.

Papersalt designs, manufactures and fulfils its products in the USA. How important has keeping production close to home been to the business, particularly when working with retailers?

It has been incredibly important.

Because we design, print and fulfil our products from our own facility in Washington State, we have much more control over quality, inventory and turnaround times.

We can respond quickly when a product takes off, develop new ideas without extremely long lead times and offer customisation at quantities that are realistic for independent retailers.

That flexibility has become a major advantage for our retail partners, especially when they need to reorder quickly or want products tailored to their location.

Your ranges span everything from inspirational and sentimental gifts to much more humorous and playful products. What have you learned about the role emotion and personality play in what customers ultimately choose to buy?

People buy products that make them feel something.

A customer might choose a sentimental book because it says something they have struggled to put into words, or pick up a funny sticker because it feels so specific to their personality that they immediately think, "That's me."

The tone may be different, but the connection is the same.

We've also learned that customers don't necessarily want to choose between meaningful and funny — the same person can connect with both.

As a wholesale brand, what do you think retailers are looking for from suppliers today beyond simply having a great product?

Retailers need suppliers who make it easy to do business.

Great products are the starting point, but reliable fulfilment, approachable minimums, responsive communication and strong merchandising support are just as important.

They also want brands that listen.

Retailers know their customers and communities better than anyone, so being able to respond to their feedback, offer location-specific products and help them build an assortment that feels right for their store can make a significant difference.

How important are trade shows for Papersalt when it comes to meeting buyers and reaching new retailers, and how do you see physical shows working alongside digital sourcing channels today?

Trade shows remain very important because our products benefit from being experienced in person.

Buyers can flip through the books, see the quality of the printing and explore the full range in a way that is difficult to replicate on a screen. Shows also give us the opportunity to have real conversations and better understand what retailers need.

Digital platforms make discovering, ordering and reordering much more convenient, so we see the two working together.

A buyer may first meet us at a show and reorder digitally, or discover us online and then visit a showroom to experience the collection.

Both channels play an important role.

As you look to grow Papersalt and reach new retailers and markets, where do you see the biggest opportunities for the brand over the next few years?

We see significant opportunity in continuing to expand our sticker, magnet and custom programmes, particularly with retailers that want products tailored to a city, state, attraction or customer base.

Because we produce in-house, we can create location-specific assortments without requiring the large minimums traditionally associated with custom products.

We also see strong potential in destination retail, including airports, museums, visitor attractions and hospital gift shops, alongside continued growth with independent gift, stationery and specialty stores.

Ultimately, the opportunity is to bring Papersalt into more places where customers are looking for something personal, distinctive and made in the USA.

Key Takeaways

• Relatability can unite very different product categories. Whether sentimental or humorous, Papersalt looks for ideas that create an immediate emotional connection.

• Retailer feedback can inform product development. Buyers provide valuable insight into what customers respond to and where opportunities exist for new products.

• In-house production creates wholesale flexibility. Greater control over inventory, lead times and replenishment can make it easier to respond when products perform well.

• Customisation doesn't always require large minimums. Producing in-house allows Papersalt to develop location-specific ranges that can work for independent and destination retailers.

• Emotion drives gifting. Products can succeed by expressing something meaningful, reflecting someone's personality or simply making them laugh.

• Being easy to work with matters. Reliable fulfilment, accessible minimums, communication and merchandising support all influence the retailer relationship.

• Physical and digital wholesale complement each other. Trade shows provide product experience and conversation, while digital channels make discovery and repeat ordering more convenient.

• Destination retail presents a natural growth opportunity. Airports, museums, attractions and other location-led retailers can benefit from products customised to their audience and place.

Papersalt's growth shows how a brand can expand substantially without abandoning the idea that made it distinctive in the first place. Across hundreds of products and very different tones, the common thread remains whether something feels relevant enough for a customer to give, keep or share.

Its production model adds another dimension to that proposition. By combining Made-in-USA production with relatively flexible customisation, Papersalt can respond not only to broader gift and stationery trends but also to the individual communities and destinations its retail partners serve.

Want to Reach More Retail Buyers?

Looking to put your brand in front of independent retailers like the ones featured in Trade Talks Tuesday?

Email events@xpofairs.com to book a demo and discover how The Gift Fair USA helps brands connect with qualified buyers all year round.