Staples Canada

Office supplies retail chain

This article is about the office supply retail chain. For the theory of Canadian economic development, see staples thesis.

Staples Canada ULC

Logo used in Anglophone Canada since 2018

Staples Canada Headquarters in Richmond Hill, Ontario

Formerly| The Business Depot
(1991–1994)
Staples Business Depot
(1994–2008)
Company type| Private
Founded| 1991; 34 years ago (1991)
Founder| Jack Bingleman
Headquarters| Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

Number of locations

| 299

Key people

| Rachel Huckle
(CEO)
Evelyn Sutherland
(CFO)
Priscilla Luna
(CCO)
Brian McDougall
(CRO)
Andrew Go
(CDO)
Lance Martel
(CIO)
Products| Technology (Computers/Business Machines/Entertainment), Furniture, Office Supplies, Copy and Print Services, Tech Services, School Supplies, Legal Supplies, Facility Supplies, Wireless
Owner| Sycamore Partners

Number of employees

| 15,000+
Website| staples.ca
Bureau en Gros logo used in Quebec (2018 to present)

Staples Canada ULC, operating as Staples (Bureau en Gros in Quebec),[1] is a Canadian retail sales company owned by Sycamore Partners.[2] Staples was founded by Leo Kahn[3] and Thomas G. Stemberg.[4] Since 2017, Staples Canada has operated independently from Staples' U.S. retail and U.S. business-to-business (B2B) operations.[5]

## History

[edit]

The Business Depot Ltd. was founded by Jack Bingleman in 1991, with Staples as a substantial investor, opening Business Depot stores in Canada.[6] The American counterpart acquired the Canadian company in 1994.[7]

The company would operate in English-language markets under the co-branding "Staples Business Depot", although stores in the Greater Toronto Area initially continued to operate under the "Business Depot" banner.[8] The presence of Business Depot resulted in trademark issues when competitor Office Depot expanded into Canada: in 1993, Staples obtained an injunction preventing the Office Depot name from being used in Ontario, and thus its stores were operated under the name "The Office Place" instead. The two companies reached a settlement in May 2001, allowing Office Depot to begin using its name on store brand products in Ontario in September 2001, and on store signage in June 2002.[9][8]

In 2008, Staples acquired Corporate Express.[10] In February 2015, Staples announced its intent to acquire Office Depot (which had also recently merged with Grand & Toy owner OfficeMax); on December 7, 2015, both the Competition Bureau and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced that they would move to block the merger under antitrust grounds.[11][12]

In 2017, Staples was acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners for $6.9 billion. Under the new owner, Staples Inc. was split into three "independently managed and capitalized" entities; Staples Canada serves as one of these entities, alongside Staples North American Delivery and Staples U.S. Retail.[5][13][14]

In December 2018, Staples Canada unveiled a new logo, and the new slogan "Work. Learn. Grow". The rebranding was accompanied by a new store concept, which first launched in Montreal and at its 375 University Avenue flagship store in Toronto. They feature demo areas with curated selections from various product lines (including pens, paper, journals, and consumer electronics), the "Solution Shop" for print and marketing services, and the latter featuring "Staples Studio" co-working areas and an auditorium-style "Spotlight" theatre (which can be rented for sessions and events).[15][16] With the new concept, Staples Canada began to position itself as "the working and learning company".[17]

In January 2024, Staples Canada began to participate in a pilot project by the Ontario provincial government to relocate some ServiceOntario locations (which provide government services such as vehicle licensing) from standalone bureaus to kiosks within retail stores. Two Walmart Canada stores are also participating in the pilot.[18] Taxpayer money is being used to cover associated renovations, at an estimated cost of $1.75 million; the Ontario NDP questioned the Doug Ford government's decision to enter into a taxpayer-funded sole-source contract with an American-owned corporation to deliver government services.[18]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Delean, Paul. "Bureau en Gros to shut two Montreal stores". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
2. ^ "Sycamore Partners Completes Acquisition Of Staples, Inc". Sycamore Partners. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
3. ^ Shapiro, T. "Leo Kahn, entrepreneur who helped found Staples office-supply business, dies at 94". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
4. ^ "Thomas Stemberg dies at 66; Staples founder created 'Toys R Us for office supplies'". Los Angeles Times. 26 October 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
5. ^ a b Demery, Paul (2017-08-14). "Break-up plan for Staples: B2B unit stands out". Digital Commerce 360. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
6. ^ Haddadin, Jim. "Staples sees future 'beyond office supplies'". The Patriot Ledger. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
7. ^ "Staples Stock Gains on Completion of Acquisitions". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
8. ^ a b "Office Depot, Staples settle". South Florida Business Journal. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
9. ^ "Depot/Staples settle Canadian dispute". OPI - Office Products International. 2001-06-01. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
10. ^ Chee, Foo. "Staples wins Corporate Express in $2.65 bln deal". Reuters. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
11. ^ Bartz, Diane. "Staples, Office Depot scrap merger deal after judge rules for FTC". Reuters. Archived from the original on May 10, 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
12. ^ "Staples merger with Grand & Toy owner Office Depot rejected by Canadian, U.S. regulators". CBC News. 2015-12-07. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
13. ^ "Staples spinning off retail business". Retail Dive. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
14. ^ Gelles, David; Merced, Michael J. de la (2017-06-28). "Staples to Sell for $6.9 Billion, and Its New Owner Has an Uphill Battle". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
15. ^ "Staples Canada Launches Innovative Retail Concept Featuring Co-Working Spaces". Retail Insider. 13 December 2018. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
16. ^ "Staples Rebrands and Unveils World's 1st "Working, Learning & Growing Store" [Photos/Video]". Retail Insider. 10 January 2019. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
17. ^ "Staples Rebrands and Unveils World's 1st "Working, Learning & Growing Store" [Photos/Video]". Retail Insider. 2019-01-10. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
18. ^ a b Southern, Richard; Marchesan, John (12 January 2024). "Ford government to pay for Staples retrofit as retailer looks to 'monetize' ServiceOntario". CityNews Toronto. Retrieved 13 January 2024.

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