Staples.com is the leading international office supplies retail chain
Company
Old slogan: "Yeah, we've got that!"
New slogan as of 2003: "That was easy!"
Staples, Inc. is the world's largest office supply retail store chain. They are a one-stop department store for every office supply imaginable, from computers, software, printers, and shredders to simple pens, paper, and office furniture. And of course, staples themselves! The company’s headquarters are in Framingham, Massachusetts.
Website
Staples.com reflects the company's full-service attitude to office-supply retailing. The landing page links to sections pertaining to nearly everything they do or supply.
Major sections include:
- Products, divided into:
- Office supplies
- Technology
- Furniture
- Ink and toner
- this section has a handy interface to find ink and toner cartridges by brand, make, and model.
- Specials, including:
- Weekly deals
- New items
- Clearance items
- Seasonal specials, and more
- Custom Printing, offering:
- Stamps and embossers
- Business cards and stationary
- Custom business envelopes
- Labels
- Post cards and memo pads
- Checks, forms, and gift certificates
- Signs, banners, and badges
- Custom promotional products
- Binders and folders
- Custom flags
- 'My Account'
- Customer Service
Most items can be purchased and delivered from the convenience of the website, making the site itself a virtual Staples store.
Along with the retail transaction interface are some minor sections relating to information on Staples credit card account services, store policies, and corporate information detailing the company's information about employment, investing, and the company's philosophy.
History
Staples was founded in 1985 by one Thomas G. Stemberg, who was frustrated obtaining office supply products in the course of working on an unrelated project. It dawned on him that large businesses cannot cope with relying on small stores to obtain the goods which a business needs to keep running. He used this idea together with his background in retail business to formulate the plan for an office supplies superstore, one that would stock everything imaginable and be open more hours in more locations - in short, a retailer for the business world.
The first store was opened in Brighton, Massachusetts in 1986. Such was the success of the business plan that it took just ten years for them to open their 500th store in Vero Beach, Florida in 1996. Their 1000th store opened in Duluth, Georgia, in 1999.
Staples, Inc., has had two chief competitors: Office Depot and OfficeMax. It is worth noting that in 1996, plans for Staples and Office Depot to merge were struck down by the Federal Trade Commission, based on the belief that this would monopolize the office supplies market too much.
Culture
From its inception, Staples has had a number of hugely successful advertising campaigns. Their understanding of their target market of blue-collar workers has helped them gain market share, while at the same time some clever advertising gimmicks have spawned some interesting memes in the office culture itself.
One television commercial in 2000, featuring a snowman-shaped robot on a small rampage, led to numerous parodies on the Internet, including a copy-cat TV advertisement by Dell computers. Thanks to their annual August TV advertisement featuring happy parents shopping for school supplies, the traditional Christmas song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" now shares duty with the back-to-school season. And the TV advertising campaign revolving around their new slogan "That was easy!" led to the sale of a stress-relief toy shaped like their iconic "easy button", which may now be found all over cubicles as a novelty item as well as leading to many Internet parodies as well.
Company Philosophy
In recent years, the growing concern over the environmental impact of electronic waste has led to Staples stores' offering a recycling service where customers can bring in old computers, calculators, printers, and other devices for a small fee.
The sales of the aforementioned "easy button" novelty toy have been partly used for charity donations. The first $1 million in profits from the "easy button" each year are donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
The Staples website has a section on corporate responsibility, where they state that they believe in a holistic approach to business which recognizes the close connection between their financial success and their desire to make a positive impact on their associates, communities, and the planet. This is accomplished by joining together the areas of diversity, environment, community, and ethics.
Business Profile
Staples had sales of $18.2 billion in the year 2006. They employ 74,000 people from over 1,900 superstore locations in 22 countries around the world. In addition to their "brick-and-mortar" retail operation, they also do business through the Internet and in the form of business vendor contacts. Their Fortune 500 ranking is #137.
Languages
English
Address
- 955 W John Carpenter Freeway
- Irving TX 75039 US
Additional Information
Related Domains
External Links
- Stock: SPLS
- Alexa: Staples.com
- Binder
- Cartridge
- Cdr
- Computer
- Disk
- Diskette
- Envelope
- Epson
- Fax Machine
- Fax Paper
- File Cabinet
- File Folder
- Filing Supplies
- Flash Memory
- Forms
- Framingham
- Furniture
- Home Office
- Home Office Furniture
- Hp
- Hp Cartridge
- Hp Ink Cartridge
- Ibm
- Industries
- Ink
- Massachusetts
- Office Furniture
- Office Machines
- Office Products
- Office Supplies
- Printer
- Shopping
- Small Business
- Supplies
- Toner
- United States
- Badge
- Holders
- Name
- Audio Tape
- Laptops
- Business
- Laptop
- Bags
- Deposit
- 3M
- Bookcase
- Brother
- Bubble Wrap
- Business and Economy
- Cable
- Calculator
- Calendar
- Canon
- Cd
- Chair
- Cleaning Supplies
- Colored Paper
- Computer Paper
- Copier
- Copy Paper
- Desk
- Desk Organizer
- Digital Camera
- Hammermill
- Hewlett Packard
- IBM
- Localities
- North America
- Regional