Dive Brief:
- Notebook brand Moleskine has opened a 280-square-foot store on New York’s Upper East Side. The location is the brand’s first neighborhood concept in the U.S., per a company press release.
- The new boutique marks a “strategic shift” in Moleskine’s U.S. retail approach, according to the company, and exhibits the brand’s commitment to becoming a “daily creative resource” to the neighborhood.
- The location is the sixth Moleskine boutique in Manhattan. There are currently 12 stores in the U.S., with more to open this year. Other locations will be renovated, according to a company spokesperson.
Dive Insight:
The idea for a neighborhood store was first tested by Moleskine when it opened a location in New York City’s Moynihan Train Hall in late 2023. The new Lexington Avenue location builds on that concept by establishing a space that caters to locals seeking a space for “connection and creative exploration,” per the company.
“The new boutique reflects our evolving approach to retail in North America, with an emphasis on neighborhood-driven locations and long-term relationships,” Ward Simmons, president of Moleskine in the Americas, said in a statement. “The Upper East Side’s academic, cultural, and creative legacy aligns naturally with a space that is designed to feel warm, personal, and interactive. The new boutique should feel unfiltered, unhurried, and unmistakably yours.”
The new location is housed in a pre-war luxury apartment building that is known for its Gothic-inspired facade. The interior of the store contains an embossing and personalization machine that is positioned within view from the street, a first for the brand in the U.S. market. The boutique also contains a “signature wall” — a wall full of notebooks for display in the window — a new concept that is making its debut at the store.
While a number of big U.S. stationary brands such as Papyrus and Paper Source have struggled in recent years, the market for analog forms of communication has persisted. Moleskine has thrived as a counterpoint to an increasingly fast-paced world dependent on digital communication.
As a vehicle to connect with students and budding artists, Moleskine partnered with Anthropologie last year to launch a limited-edition journal collection with cover designs by YoungArts alumni.
Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Milan, Italy, Moleskine operates over 50 brick-and-mortar stores worldwide. In addition to its stores, Moleskine sells through wholesale partnerships including Barnes and Noble, Target, Nordstrom, Walmart and independent bookstores.
