Media Information - Corporate Overview

International Operations

Staples is a global company with delivery and retail businesses serving customers in 27 different countries. In addition to the countries listed below, Staples operates in Australia, Greece, Ireland, New Zealand and Norway following the company’s acquisition of Corporate Express in July 2008.

Asia

China - Staples

http://english.oa365.com

Staples® China began as a joint venture with OA 365 and is now a multichannel office products supplier operating in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen/Guangzhou. It serves small businesses through 28 office product stores, two Staples UPS Express stores, an e–commerce site and two large furniture showrooms. The company also serves multinational business, large domestic companies and various Chinese government departments through its contract business.

In 2007, Staples expanded its presence in China through a joint venture with Peipei, the largest office products retailer in the Jiangsu province. Founded in 1998, Peipei’s 10 stores serve consumers, businesses and government agencies throughout the Yangtze Delta region.

Taiwan - UB Staples

In June 2006, Staples entered the Taiwanese market through a joint venture with UB Express, a leading office products delivery business in Taiwan and a subsidiary of UB Office Systems. The business is called UB Staples®.

India

In 2007, Staples entered the $10 billion office products market in India through a joint venture with Pantaloon Retail Ltd., India's leading retailer. Staples now operates two Staples branded franchise stores in Bangalore with Future Group, a JV partner.

European Retail

Staples maintains a strong European presence with 271 retail stores in five countries: Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom. Our retail business is based in Brussels, Belgium.

 

Belgium - Office Centre

http://www.officecentre.be

Office Centre® is a cash–and–carry membership warehouse that offers office products, business machines and technology. The company was co founded in 1989 by Theo van Brandenburg and acquired by Staples in 1999. Today, Theo continues as Managing Director and is also President of Staples European Retail. There are four Office Centre stores in Belgium. 

Germany - Staples

Staples operates 56 Staples® stores in Germany and two Office Centre stores in Germany. We entered the country in 1992 with an investment in MAXI Papier, an office superstore chain founded in 1989. Staples acquired the business in total in 1996. We converted all stores in Germany to the Staples name in 1998. In 1999, we increased our store count in Germany with the acquisition of the Sigma Burowelt chain of office superstores.

Netherlands - Office Centre

http://www.officecentre.nl

Office Centre® in the Netherlands is a cash–and–carry membership warehouse that offers office supplies, business machines and technology. There are 47 warehouses serving business customers throughout the Netherlands.

Portugal - Staples Office Centre

http://www.staples.pt

Staples Office Centre® operates 25 stores throughout Portugal that offer office supplies, business machines and technology as well as copy & print center services. The company also operates as a delivery business selling office products through catalogs and its e–commerce site. 

United Kingdom - Staples

There are 134 Staples® stores in the United Kingdom that offer our customers office supplies, furniture, business machines, technology and copy & print services. Staples entered the British market in 1992 through a partnership with Kingfisher, Plc., opening our first four stores in 1993. In 1996, we acquired Kingfisher's interest in the business. In 2004, we significantly increased our store count with the acquisition of Office World, a British office products retailer.

European Catalog

Almost three million European businesses and consumers turn to Staples European Catalog business for their office product needs. Staples operates 10 different catalogs and Web sites serving 15 European countries.

Austria - Pressel International

http://www.pressel.com

Pressel® International, based in Vöslau, Austria, specializes in archival, storage, shipping, organization supplies and warehousing and display solutions made from corrugated cardboard. The company serves customers in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland. Founded in 1979, the company was acquired by Staples in 2004.

Denmark - Malling Beck

http://www.mb.dk

Malling Beck® was founded in 1960 as both a distributor of office furniture and supplies, and a textbook publisher. The publishing side of the business was sold in 2004, the same year Staples acquired the company. Based in Albertslund west of Copenhagen, Malling Beck is a leading direct marketer of office supplies in Denmark.

France - Bernard

http://www.bernard.fr, http://www.bernard.be

Bernard® started as a hardware store. The company published its first mail order catalog in 1969 and evolved into France's leading seller of office safety and maintenance solutions and hygiene and cleaning products. The company serves customers in France, Belgium and Luxembourg. Based in Tourcoing in northern France on the Belgian border, Bernard was acquired by Staples in 2002.

France - JPG

http://www.jpg.fr, http://www.jpg.be

JPG® is France’s number one office products mail–order company, and also serves customers in Belgium and Luxembourg. The company was founded in 1976 by Jean–Paul Guisset as a family business. JPG's first catalog was eight pages and featured 25 office furniture products. The company is based in Survilliers, north of Paris, and was acquired by Staples in 2002.

Germany - Staples

http://www.staples.de

Staples® delivers office supplies, business machines, furniture, technology and more to customers in Germany through catalog and e–commerce sales. The business is an outgrowth of our German retail operation and is based in Brussels, Belgium.

Italy - MondOffice

http://www.mondoffice.com

MondOffice® is the first and largest business–to–business mail–order company in Italy. It was founded in 1986 as a distributor of office furniture. MondOffice was acquired by Staples in 2002 and is based in Castelletto Cervo, west of Milan.

Spain - Kalamazoo

http://www.kalamazoo.es

Kalamazoo® is the oldest name in our company, dating back to 1904. Originally a British printing company, it changed its name to Kalamazoo after acquiring the rights to market a revolutionary new document organization system invented in Kalamazoo, Michigan – the loose–leaf binder. In 1972 the company established an office in Spain, which was sold in 1993 to an IT distributor. Expanding its product offering throughout the 90s, Kalamazoo is today one of Spain's leading direct marketers of office supplies. Based in Madrid, the company was acquired by Staples in 2002.

Sweden - Quill Kontorslagret

http://www.quill.se

Kontorslagret® means "office warehouse" in Swedish and is Sweden’s first direct marketer dedicated to office supplies. The company was founded by two friends in the IT business. Based in Norrköping, southwest of Stockholm, the company was acquired by Staples in 2004.

United Kingdom - Neat Ideas & Staples

http://www.neat-ideas.com, http://www.staples.co.uk

Neat Ideas® is one of two delivery businesses Staples operates in the United Kingdom. We also do business under the Staples® brand.  Neat Ideas was founded in the early 1970s as a direct marketer of office supplies and acquired by Staples in 2002. Our Staples delivery business grew out of our UK retail business that was founded in 1992. Today, both companies are headquartered in Doncaster, northeast of Sheffield, England.

South America

Staples entered the South American market in 2004 with the acquisition of Officenet, an office products delivery business. Officenet "simplifies your life at work" and offers its customers more than 10,000 different products ranging from basic office products to business machines to cafeteria supplies. Today, Officenet is the largest business–to–business e–commerce company in South America. 

Argentina - Officenet

http://www.officenet.com.ar

Officenet® was founded in 1997 in Argentina, South America's second largest country. The company is headquartered in Buenos Aries. Officenet serves small and medium–sized businesses through its catalogs and e–commerce sites and larger businesses through its contract business.

Brazil - Officenet

http://www.officenet.com.br

Officenet® expanded into Brazil, South America's largest market, in 2000. Officenet's Brazilian contract, retail, catalog and e–commerce operations are based in Sao Paulo.