Penney planned to sell those items from a mini-shop called Martha Celebrations featuring stationery and other paper products.

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Mr Paphitis, whose other retail interests include the Ryman stationery chain and Boux Avenue lingerie retailer, bought Robert Dyas through his company Gladys Emmanuel Limited.

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The pots can be for "food, entertainment, holidays, stationery, car maintenance, petrol, white goods", among other things, explains his wife Diana, a teacher.

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Borders was egregiously bad at identifying consumer product and lifestyle trends, introducing candles and stationery, CDs and DVDs at a time when consumers were moving in other directions.

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