Staples Canada

Staples Canada Inc. (also known in Quebec as Bureau en Gros; formerly known as The Business Depot and later Staples Business Depot) is a Canadian office supply retail chain. It is owned by Sycamore Partners, The corporation is headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

This article is about the office supply retail chain. For the theory of Canadian economic development, see staples thesis.
Staples Canada
Formerly
The Business Depot
(1991–1994)
Staples Business Depot
(1994–2008)
Privately held company
Founded1991 (1991)
FounderJack Bingleman
HeadquartersRichmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
Number of locations
305
Key people
David Boone
(CEO)
Evelyn Sutherland
(CFO)
John Defranco
(CCO)
Rachel Huckle
(CRO)
Simon Rodrigue
(CDO)
ProductsTechnology (Computers/Business Machines/Entertainment), Furniture, Office Supplies, Copy and Print Services, Tech Services, School Supplies, Legal Supplies, Facility Supplies
OwnerSycamore Partners
Number of employees
15,000+
ParentSycamore Partners
Websitestaples.ca

Staples remains one of the most profitable office supply chains in Canada, with larger share than its main rival Grand & Toy. It is the largest supplier of office supplies to small businesses and home office workers,[1] either in store, online or by catalogue, with over 300 stores and six delivery centers which allows Staples Canada to deliver to 85% of the Canadian population next day free of charge. Staples Canada also offers a specific B2B program with Staples Preferred offering discounts and account management for small and medium business in Canada at staplespreferred.ca

History

The Business Depot Ltd. was founded by Jack Bingleman in 1991, with Staples as a substantial investor, opening Business Depot stores in Ontario and later Atlantic Canada and Bureau en Gros locations in Quebec. The American counterpart acquired 100% of the Canadian company in 1994. Around this time, the company began to open stores in Western Canada under the Staples: The Office Superstore label, like its U.S. counterpart.

The company later began converting locations in English-speaking markets to a combined brand, tested as Staples: The Business Depot and later rolled out as Staples Business Depot. This conversion was completed in 2001, with Quebec locations retaining Bureau en Gros.

In 2008, the company began shortening its name to "Staples" in English Canada to avoid confusion with rival Office Depot, to provide more commonality with its stores in the U.S. and overseas, and to reduce costs associated with Staples brand merchandise packaging that was made specifically for Canada. In Quebec, products that were previously rebranded Bureau en Gros now remain branded as Staples. This change was "soft launched"; Staples updated the logo as the company reordered supplies to reduce costs associated with a brand change. Older locations still retain the full Staples Business Depot signage. The Business Depot Ltd. remained the legal name of the main Canadian subsidiary until 2008, when the company's name was changed to Staples Canada, Inc.[2]

In 2008, Staples acquired Corporate Express, which now runs under the banner Staples Business Advantage, catering to larger corporations.

Since 2008, Staples Canada has acquired different companies - such as Chiswick, introducing industrial products to their selection. They have increased their focus on drop-shipping some products to be able to offer a wider selection of merchandise without needing to increase personal inventory or warehouse space.

David Boone was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Staples Canada ULC in January 2018. [3]

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.[4][5][6]

In December 2018, Staples Canada unveiled a new logo and slogan ("Work. Learn. Grow."). The rebranding is accompanied by new store concepts which first launched in Montreal and Downtown Toronto, which 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 nd events).[7][8]

Services

Staples Canada has their own private-label brand under the name "Staples" or "Sustainable Earth" for their eco-conscious lineup.

Stores are divided into the following departments:

  • Office Supplies: pens, papers, folders, envelopes, binders and other basic office supply products
  • Furniture: chairs, office desks, filing cabinets, banquet tables and accessories
  • Technology: laptops, tablets, and desktop computers, printers, projectors, and other technology products such as calculators and cash registers
  • Tech Services (Services de Solution Technique in Quebec): repairs on both laptops and desktops, as well as installations, setups and networking. Warranty repairs are provided through a nearby warranty centre. Tech Services also offers in-home services such as network setup or a repair in your home.
  • Print Services: full- and self-serve black and white and colour photocopying/printing, binding, booklet making, lamination, customer printing (business cards, letterheads, envelopes, etc.), Purolator shipping centre, and other document services; 24-hour services are available in some stores.

Staples also offers Extended Service and Furniture Protection Plans.

Loyalty programs

As of March 2013, Staples subscribed to the Air Miles loyalty program. The company previously had its own loyalty program called Dividends, under which members received gift certificates based on their spending in the previous quarter.

Since 2005, Staples customers donate to local non-profits through the annual event Staples School Supply Drive, in 2017 the donations reached $1.5 million, and a total of $12 million since launching the initiative.[9][10]

As for Staples Print and Marketing services, business clients are provided the Business Discount Program where they receive 10-20% on print services [11]

Credit cards

Staples offers an in-store private-label credit card, the "Staples Card", in partnership with Desjardins Group. Personal, small business and commercial cards are available. Two credit limits exist for customers with these cards, a regular financing limit and an "Accord D" financing limit, which are combined in the total credit limit. The company previously offered private-label "Enterprise" credit cards in partnership with Citi Financial.

References
  1. About Staples Canada
  2. Staples Canada Inc.: Private Company Information - Businessweek
  3. https://www.staples.ca/sbdca/en_CA/cre/programs/media_information/images/david-boone-bio.pdf
  4. Demery, Paul (2017-08-14). "Break-up plan for Staples: B2B unit stands out". Digital Commerce 360. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  5. "Staples spinning off retail business". Retail Dive. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  6. 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.
  7. "Staples Canada Launches Innovative Retail Concept Featuring Co-Working Spaces". Retail Insider. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  8. "Staples Rebrands and Unveils World's 1st "Working, Learning & Growing Store" [Photos/Video]". Retail Insider. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  9. Staples.ca , July 31, 2017
  10. "Staples School Supply Drive (Press release)". MarketWatch. July 31, 2017. Retrieved 2019-09-29.
  11. Staples.ca
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