Local paper goods and gift shop Pulp & Circumstance has opened its doors in Washington Lane, Hamilton with a new look and feel.The new location, formerly home to North Rock Communications, has been completely renovated and now boasts 3,000 square feet of retail space with an extra 500 feet of back office space.The store combines the Queen Street paper store with the Front Street gift shop so now customers have a one-stop shop for invitations, menus, placecards, leather journals, pen sets and gifts. Owner Kristi Grayston hopes this new location will bring in a steady stream of customers.“It’s a great location,” said Ms Grayston. “Washington Mall has become the hub of retail sales so you want to be in it or near it. Being just outside of the mall works out even better because we are not dependent on the mall hours.”According to Ms Grayston, Pulp & Circumstance will celebrate 15 years of business this November with the paper store having been located in the Windsor Place for 10 years.She moved the gift shop from the corner of Queen and Reid to the Front Street location in July of 2010. The move didn’t go well.“We moved in and three months later we wanted out,” she said. “Business was fine for July and August because the cruise ships were in town but come fall, when Reid and Queen Street were rammed, Front Street was empty.”Having the two stores a couple blocks apart from one another, explained Ms Grayston, was confusing for customers who were unsure which store had which items. But business in general, however, hasn’t been great overall, she says.“It’s a bit of a leap of faith to build a new, expensive shop but entrepreneurs are optimistic by nature, and this is a better location that will better suit our clientele,” she said. “This is our last move, this is it.”The Pulp & Circumstance airport shop, though, is showing promise.“It’s doing very well. Our May results are better over the same period last year,” she said.“So maybe there is a little light at the end of the tunnel…although it could also be an oncoming train,” she jokingly added.The company has seven full-time staff and roughly the same number of part-time summer student help. Ms Grayston put them to work during the Washington Lane renovation, painting the walls of the new shop, packing, moving and redisplaying.She even recruited her husband. Michael Grayston was made redundant from Ace in March and was the project manager overseeing and helping with the construction of the new space.Ms Grayston says that the new store has a different look and feel from its predecessors. “The new store is a complete departure in that traditionally we have had a ‘pretty’ feel with fabric and display table coverings,” she explained. “Now, it is an updated and modern look with the focus on the products and display areas.”The ceiling is made of tin tiles, walls covered with eco-friendly paint and they used reclaimed wood on the floors and in the millwork. They have also built a ramp making the store wheelchair and stroller friendly.They are also introducing new lines of gift, pen, stationery and gift items.Ms Grayston, who recently stepped down as the chair of retail at the Chamber of Commerce but still sits on the Executive Board and Management Team, is cautiously optimistic about the new locale.“Retail sales in Bermuda were down last month (April) again but I have to believe that things will get better or else I wouldn’t be doing this project. As Bermudians we can help ourselves by shopping locally.”