Crazy about Pens

Crazy Alan's Emporium is a throwback college-town pen and stationery shop.

- RICH LAPIN

Near the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill is another of that city's treasures, Crazy Alan's Emporium. Think of it as a back-to-the-future experience. The arrival of Office Depot in 1986, followed by Staples in the same year and Office Max in 1988, were game-changers. For independent office supply stores in the retail trade, the big-box competition represented the arrival of the Grim Reaper, and many went out of business. The golden age of office supply stores was over.

By contrast, Crazy Alan's Emporium has survived and retains all the charm of pen shops that were a regular part of the retail landscape a few decades back. More importantly, it offers the latest in new products. The product line is plentiful and features vintage and modern pens, inks, writing paper, greeting cards, leather goods, office supplies, art supplies, and gift items. What separates it from big box stores is the deep dedication to customer needs to be matched with a genuine desire and ability to meet those needs. Staffers at Crazy Alan's work like crazy to make good on that vision.

Alan Cohen is the driving force behind the business and the only full-time employee. To his credit, he has cultivated a great culture for part-time employees who, in time, become dedicated associates.

A Connecticut native, Cohen came from a background of wholesale office supply, as his father operated just that kind of business in New Haven. From even before his high school days, he learned the basics of the business and later brought an entrepreneurial flair to increase sales.