Stationers That Catered to Movie Industry to Close

Citing pressure from national office supply chains, Alexander’s Stationers, a family-run fixture in Hollywood for 61 years, began a going out of business sale Thursday, much to the chagrin of many of its customers, employees said.

The Cahuenga Boulevard store has been losing money for the last seven years, company President Mark Alexander said.

The store, which had 76 employees and an in-store pianist during its heyday in the 1980s, was founded in 1936 by Alexander’s father, Ralph, with a $1,000 loan.

Originally on Vine Street just north of Sunset Boulevard, Alexander’s catered to the entertainment industry.

Staples, the Massachusetts-based chain whose name will be on the new downtown sports arena, opened a store a block from Alexander’s in 1994.

But a company spokeswoman said Staples shouldn’t be blamed for Alexander’s demise.

“It’s a shame, but I know there are a lot of stationers who are thriving and doing quite well,” Staples spokeswoman Sue Simon said.