Staples Incorporated is the largest chain store in the USA, supplying office products and services. Staples locations sell office machines, operating supplies, furniture, promotional goods, business and tech services, etc.

It is a U.S. public company with the headquarters in Framingham, Massachusetts, listed on NASDAQ stock exchange (index SPLS) and Standard & Poor’s 500.

Staples locations can be found under its primary brand in the Unites States, Brazil, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, India, China, United Kingdom, and Norway. The company’s subsidiaries also operate in some countries under different trade names: Officenet-Staples (Argentina), Staples Canada (Canada), Staples Office Centre (Netherlands), Mondoffice (Italy). In some regions it works as Staples Advantage.

Landmarks in the History of Staple

The milestones in the history of the corporations are listed below.

• 1985 – Leo Kahn and Thomas Stemberg, who used to be competitors, establish Staples Incorporated.
• 1986 – The first Staples location is opened in Brighton, Massachusetts.
• 1987 – Staples opens its store in New York.
• 1988 – The company starts sending special catalogs to their potential clients.
• 1989 – Staples Inc. introduces the Private Label goods.
• 1989 – The initial public offering brings the company over million.
• 1990 – Staples Inc. launches locations in California.
• 1991 – Staples Company starts its first venture outside the USA, investing in The Business Depot in Canada.
• 1991 – Staples Inc. celebrates opening the 100th location.
• 1992 – The company begins to work in Europe.
• 1992 – It purchases Office Mart Holdings for over million.
• 1993 - Staples Inc. opens the 200th Staples location.
• 1994 – The company buys seven stores in Virginia, previously owned by Office America.
• 1996 – Staples Inc. wants to acquire Office Depot, but their merger is prohibited by antitrust authorities.
• 1996 - Staples Inc. launches the 500th Staples location.
• 1997 – The company’s revenues exceed billion.
• 1998 – The company purchases Quill Corp.
• 1998 – Staples Inc. launches Staples.com.
• 1999 - Staples Inc. acquires three European companies: Office Centre in Portugal, Office Center in the Netherlands, and Sigma Burowelt in Germany.
• 1999 – The company owns one thousand Staples locations worldwide.
• 1999 - Staples Inc. sets up the tracking stock for operations in the Internet.
• 2002 – The corporation buys Medical Arts Press for over 3 million.
• 2002 - Staples Inc. establishes Staples Foundation for Learning. It is to support education and youth groups.
• 2004 - Staples Inc. opens locations in Denmark and Austria.
• 2005 – Staples’s “Easy Button” is introduced.
• 2006 – Chiswick is acquired.
• 2007 – The company expands to India.
• 2007 - Staples Inc. introduces the “Staples Rewards” program.
• 2008 - Staples Inc. purchases Corporate Express, a Netherlands office supplies retailer.

Staple Today

As of 2012, Staples Inc. had more than billion of annual sales and its net income reached almost 5 million. It is the world’s second company in electronic commerce sales.

Staples Inc. owns 2,281 locations (1,575 one in the USA) and about 125 fulfillment centers and warehouses in twenty six countries of South and North America, Asia, Australia, and Europe. The number of its regular employees exceeds 51,500 people.

Ronald Sargent is CEO and chairman of Staples Inc., and Joseph Doody takes the position of president of the company.

Staples.com, the official Staples Inc.’s website, offers customers information about the company, its products and serviced and has a user-friendly Staples locator.