Robert Mason stationery business to close
Stationery and accessories store Robert Mason Co. will shut down in Columbus by the end of May. The company website also will cease operations.
The company was unable to recover from financial setbacks stemming from a 2014 fire at its original space on Gay Street, said company founder Robert Grimmett. Although the company eventually reopened on Brickel Street in the Short North, business in that location couldn’t overcome the earlier losses.
“I’ve tried everything to keep the brand alive and in a forward momentum through tough times and incredible setbacks,” Grimmett said in a statement. “Sadly, this was not a result of poor performance. It was a product of cash-flow constraints and debt resulting from the 2014 fire that destroyed the Gay Street Columbus store.”
Grimmett created the Robert Mason Co. brand when he was 12 years old, opening his first retail store in Ravenswood, West Virginia. Grimmett sold it to his parents after he graduated from high school.
In 2013, he opened Robert Mason Co. in a 208-squarefoot space, creating a business that generated both good sales and huge buzz. The 2014 fire put an end to the store.
In 2015, Robert Mason Co. reopened in the Short North, and Grimmett began to expand his brand into other channels such as Robert Loves, a monthly subscription program, and RM Art Class, which taught the art of hand lettering and calligraphy.
Robert Mason Co. goods also were sold by Express as a featured brand on the website of the Columbus-based specialty retail chain.
“Losing our new concept store on Brickel Street and our Columbus operations, which include robertmason.com, is another tragedy in a book that must now come to a close,” Grimmett said.
The company’s liquidation will begin immediately instore and also online at some point this week, he said. A closing date has not been set.