Capitol Stationers offers a broad selection of products ranging from office supplies and stationery to that perfect greeting card for someone special. Unique gifts, maps, picture frames, photo albums, scrapbooks, locally made chocolate, maple products are also available. Are you having a party? Stop by for party supplies and balloons.
Business Spotlight on Capital Stationers:
Tell us about yourselves:
We were both born in Berlin where we lived in Barre in the early 70’s. We have fond memories of walking into town from Tremont street where we lived, to visit the family store we had downtown. You could say we lived based on our store locations, as we then moved to Essex shortly after my father opened another Capitol Stationers location in Burlington on Church Street in the late 70’s. At one time, our family owned and operated 7 stores (including one in Florida). Now in just one single location, we are both the current owner/operators of Capitol Stationers. Prior to that, Donald Bigglestone (our father) was owner/operator. William "Bill" Bigglestone (our grandfather) founded the business in 1950 in downtown Montpelier.
What makes your store unique?
I think we are unique in that you have to look far and wide to find a 3rd generation owned retail store (and "stationery" store at that) still in business after almost 70 years. We have seen, experienced and adapted a lot over those 7 decades: The retail shift from downtowns to shopping malls, shopping malls to big box stores, and then big box stores to online competition. We have been through multiple floodings, new location openings, store closures, drastic economic downturns in the economy and even a chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. It's been a busy 70 years...
What do you like about having a business in Montpelier?
The overall community in Montpelier is amazing. It provides great schools, a safe, welcoming, loving community, and local customers (and fellow business owners) who embrace supporting locally owned businesses in town. It's great to have such a community to own a business and raise a family in balance...We both thoroughly enjoy living in Vermont for all that it brings; recreation, community, food, culture, plus golf and skiing!
What’s something people might not know about your business?
The lineage of stationery in our family business actually goes as far back as 1895 when W.H. Bigglestone ("Bills" father) was a boy in Boston, MA and started work at Adams Cushing and Foster Stationers where he eventually became vice president. In 1917 the stationer then established the Moore Pen Company (makers of the first non leakable fountain pen.) So I guess you could say that the stationery business (and ink) runs deep in our blood...