Staples
- Company typePublic
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersFramingham, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Staples firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Staples
- Legal name
- Staples, Inc.
- Website
- https://staples.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Staples industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Office Supplies Retail
- NAICS
- Office Supplies and Stationery Retailers (45941), General Line Grocery Merchant Wholesalers (42441)
- SIC
- Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Office Supplies Retail (CRALABAA)
Keywords
Where Staples is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Framingham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Staples business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Product Sales - Office Supplies: Core revenue from selling office supplies, technology products, furniture, and accessories through retail stores and e-commerce. Includes paper, writing supplies, organizational products, and cleaning supplies.
- Print & Marketing Services: Custom printing services including document printing, banners, business cards, signs, and marketing materials. Same-day printing available. Features 25% back in Easy Rewards points for custom print orders.
- Subscription Services: AutoRestock subscription program offering recurring delivery of supplies with tiered discounts (5% for 1 item, 10% for 2+ items). Easy Rewards loyalty program with points accumulation and redemption.
- B2B/Enterprise Accounts: Dedicated business account programs through Staples Business and Staples Advantage platforms offering contract pricing, volume discounts, consolidated billing, and expert account support across multiple locations.
- Shipping & Logistics Services: Revenue from shipping services including UPS, Amazon Returns, Happy Returns, and custom packaging solutions. Also includes TSA PreCheck, passport services, and notary services.
- Tech Services: Warranties, protection plans, tech recycling, and technology services including free PC tune-up and data transfer.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard retail pricing for consumers |
| Subscription | Monthly | AutoRestock subscription program |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Print services per-page pricing |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | B2B contract pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Staples product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Staples is a multi-channel office supply and workplace solutions retailer selling office supplies, technology products, furniture, cleaning and breakroom items through 950+ retail stores, staples.com, and the Staples Business Advantage B2B platform. It also offers custom printing and marketing services, shipping/returns services, tech support, and travel services such as TSA PreCheck enrollment, serving SMBs, enterprises, government, education, and individual consumers across North America.
Product overview
Staples operates as a multi-channel office supply retailer and workplace solutions company offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services through its Staples.com e-commerce platform (migrated to Shopify), 950+ retail locations, and B2B division. The core product lines include office supplies, technology products (computers, printers, electronics), and Print & Marketing Services (document printing, custom banners, business cards, signs, photo gifts) as the primary service pillars. The business has expanded beyond traditional office supplies into adjacent categories including party supplies (Party City shop-in-shop), eye care (Stanton Optical), travel services (TSA PreCheck, passport photos), shipping/returns (UPS, Amazon Returns, Happy Returns, Instacart, DoorDash), and health/wellness products. Staples offers proprietary sub-brands including TRU RED (workspace products), Union & Scale (furniture), Workplace 2.0, Perk (breakroom), and Staples Brand Products, alongside loyalty (Easy Rewards) and subscription (AutoRestock) programs. The company also provides B2B solutions through its Staples Business Advantage platform serving large corporate accounts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Staples Business Advantage: B2B contract pricing and business solutions platform serving commercial and government customers
- Easy Rewards
- AutoRestock
- Staples Connect
- Staples Tech
- Staples Travel Hub
- Bin Wins
- TRU RED
- Union & Scale
- Perk
- Coastwide Professional
- Workplace 2.0
- Pick Me Up Provisions
- Eco-ID
Products and services
- Office Supplies
- Office Furniture and Workplace Solutions
- Technology Products
- Print & Marketing Services
- Promotional Products
- Shipping & Returns Services
- Tech Services
- Travel Services
- Business Center Services
- Staples Business Advantage
- Stanton Optical Eye Care
- Party City Shop-in-Shop at Staples
- AutoRestock Subscription
- Easy Rewards Loyalty Program
- Bin Wins
Quantifiable outcome
- E-commerce now 24% of total revenue, up from 22% year prior, indicating successful digital transformation
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Staples
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Staples technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature3 records
Staples partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Party CitycoreStrategic partnership bringing Party City party supplies including balloons, décor, and celebration goods into 700+ Staples locations nationwide and on Staples.com. Combines Party City's celebration products with Staples' same-day print and marketing services. Timed for graduation season targeting $6.8 billion in annual graduation-related spending.
- Junior Achievement USAcoreMulti-year partnership to deliver career-connected learning and work readiness programs for students across the United States. Two-year partnership includes local program support, volunteer engagement, and Staples' role as Presenting Sponsor for Future Bound national student conference at Boston University in June 2026.
- AgentiivminorAI accelerator program partnership in Canada providing grants, training, and support to help SMBs and nonprofits adopt AI technology. $5 million program including Staples, Canadian Marketing Association, Ownr, and CCNDR.
- Stanton Optical (Now Optics)coreStore-in-store partnership bringing affordable eye care services to select Staples stores. Grand opening of four locations in Philadelphia area offering free eye exams, dry eye screenings, and variety of eye care services with ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
- CraftyminorIntegration of Staples' product catalog and logistics network into Crafty's workplace food and beverage platform. Gives Crafty clients access to thousands of office products with next-day delivery powered by Staples' fulfillment infrastructure.
- UPSminorUPS shipping services available at Staples locations for customer shipping needs. Also partner for Happy Returns network expansion to 10,000 U.S. drop-off locations.
- The Battery NetworkminorStatewide battery recycling program administrator under Illinois Portable and Medium-Format Battery Stewardship Act. Covers traditional household batteries and medium-format batteries used in e-bikes, e-scooters, power tools, and similar products.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Staples competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Office Depot: Direct competitor in office supplies retail with comparable store footprint and B2B/contract offerings. Closest like-for-like peer across product assortment, customer segments, and omnichannel model.
- FedEx Office: Direct overlap on print and document services plus shipping. Comparable walk-in retail footprint for SMBs and consumers needing same-day print, packing, and shipping.
- The UPS Store: Direct peer in shipping, packing, and small-format retail services. Operates as UPS-branded franchise network with overlapping shipping/print use cases for SMBs.
- W.B. Mason: Private B2B office supplies distributor with deep contract and account-management capabilities. Strongest pure-play competitor to Staples Business Advantage in commercial accounts.
Broad incumbents
- Amazon Business: Operates B2B procurement platform competing directly for Staples Business Advantage contracts. Broader assortment and pricing power make it the primary disruptor in office/commercial supplies.
- Costco: Indirect competitor across bulk consumables, breakroom supplies, furniture, and technology for SMBs and consumers shopping at value-oriented retailers with warehouse footprint.
- Walmart: Mass-market retailer overlapping on school supplies, basic office consumables, electronics, and home office furniture. Larger scale and pricing power create constant baseline competitive pressure.
- Best Buy: Comparable footprint and omnichannel model across technology, accessories, and home office equipment. Overlaps on consumer/remote-worker purchase occasions and Geek Squad-style tech services.
Emerging players
- Wayfair: E-commerce leader in home and office furniture, directly competing with Staples' Union & Scale and Workplace 2.0 lines. Stronger digital assortment and configurability for furniture purchases.
Others
- RightHand Robotics: Technology vendor and partner (RightPick item-handling system) automating Staples fulfillment operations. Adjacent enabling player representing how Staples is leveraging robotics/logistics tech.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Staples social profiles
Digital presenceStaples financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Staples leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Staples subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries9 records
Staples funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Staples M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A22 records
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Staples
What does Staples do?
Staples is a multi-channel office supply and workplace solutions retailer selling office supplies, technology products, furniture, cleaning and breakroom items through 950+ retail stores, staples.com, and the Staples Business Advantage B2B platform. It also offers custom printing and marketing services, shipping/returns services, tech support, and travel services such as TSA PreCheck enrollment, serving SMBs, enterprises, government, education, and individual consumers across North America.
Is Staples a public or private company?
Staples is a public company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Staples founded?
Staples was founded in 1986. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Staples based?
Staples is headquartered in Framingham, United States, in the North America region.
How does Staples make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Product Sales - Office Supplies are the primary driver. The others are print & Marketing Services, subscription Services, B2B/Enterprise Accounts, shipping & Logistics Services and tech Services.
Who are Staples's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Office Depot, FedEx Office, The UPS Store and W.B. Mason. Broad incumbents are Amazon Business, Costco, Walmart and Best Buy. Wayfair is listed as an emerging player. RightHand Robotics is listed as an others.
Does Staples have an API?
No public API is recorded for Staples.
What industry is Staples in?
Staples's product category is Office Supplies Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALABAA, General Office Supplies Retail. Its NAICS code is 45941 and its SIC code is 5940.