Both Office Depot and Staples are very popular and renowned office supply retail companies. However, the price of Staples products is a bit higher than that of Office Depot. Moreover, Staples doesn’t offer any discounts while Office Depot offers various discounts. So, if you are looking for office supplies at a reasonable price then Office Depot will be the best option.
Key Takeaways
- Office Depot is a leading distributor of office goods and services for small, medium, and corporate organizations
- From staples, you will be able to buy various office supplies including business essentials, printers, ink, computers, office furniture, etc.
- Office Depot has various sales events where students can get discounts of up to 20%
- If you make a purchase of more than $45 from Staples then you will get a free shipping
What is Office Depot?
Established in October 1986 by F. Patrick Sher, Office Depot is an American office supply holding company. This company is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. In Office Depot, you will shop for low prices on office furniture, supplies, electronics, print services & more. In fact, Office Depot is a leading distributor of office goods and services for small, medium, and corporate organizations. This company has more than 1,300 stores across the USA. Office Depot has more than 38,000 employees and it has combined annual sales of approximately $11 billion.
Products Available at Office Depot
| Office Supplies | Name Badges & Holders | Labels & Label Makers |
| Furniture | Desk Accessories | Tax Return Solutions |
| Cleaning | Desk Organizers | Calendars & Planners |
| Breakroom | Desk Trays | Greener Office Products |
| Computers & Accessories | File Organizers | Exclusive Brands |
| Printers & Scanners | Drawer Organizers | Articles & Ideas |
| Electronics | Storage | Pens, Pencils & Markers |
| Paper | File Boxes | Pens |
| School Supplies | Plastic Storage Containers | Markers & Highlighters |
| Ink & Toner | Storage Bins & Baskets | Pencils |
| Packing Materials | Storage Drawers & Carts | Correction Fluid & Tape |
| Filing & Folders | More Ways to Shop | Basic Supplies |
| File Folders | Calendars & Planners | Staplers & Staples |
| Hanging File Folders | Tax Return Solutions | Paper & Binder Clips |
| Expanding File Folders | Post-It & Sticky Notes | Scissors |
| Classification Folders | Tape & Adhesives | Paper Punches & Cutters |
| Binders & Accessories | Presentation Boards | Mailing & Shipping |
| Binders | Label Maker Tapes | Envelopes |
| Dividers & Tabs | Address Labels | Shipping & Moving Boxes |
| Report Covers & Portfolios | Label Makers | Mailers |
| Sheet Protectors | Standard Labels | Packing Tape |
Service Offered by Office Depot
- Document Printing
- Large Format Printing
- Marketing Materials
- Custom Stationery
- Photo Printing & Gifts
- Promotional Products
- Custom Checks
- Custom Business Forms
- Labels & Stickers
- Name Plates & Badges
- Covid-19 Signs
- Same Day Stamps
- Message Stamps
- Address Stamps
- Notary Stamps
- Embossers
- Business Cards
- Postcards
- Flyers
- Brochures
- Menus
- Rack Cards
- Microsoft IT Solutions
- Device-as-a-Service
- Service Desk
- IT Asset Disposition
- Onsite Services
- Computer Repair
- 24/7 Tech Support Plans
- Allstate Protection Plans
- New Computer Setup
- Home & Office Installation
- Device Trade-In
- Business Services
- Design Services
- Photo Printing & Gifts
- Shredding & Storage
- Pack & Ship
- Direct Mail
- Furniture Assembly
What Is Staples?
Staples is a renowned United States-based office supply store established in 1985 by Sycamore Partners. The headquarters of Staples is in Framingham, MA. It is an office retail company that sells various office supplies and related products. The business model of Staples is via retail channels and business-to-business-oriented delivery operations. From staples, you will be able to buy various office supplies including business essentials, printers, ink, computers, office furniture, and many more at an affordable and reasonable price compared to other companies. Unlike Office Depot, Staples is a global company with more than 2,000 retail stores across the world. In 2015, Staples wanted to acquire Office Depot and OfficeMax but their attempt failed due to antitrust grounds and the consolidation that would result.
Products Available at Staples
| Ink & Toner | Cleaning Supplies | Hard Drives & Storage |
| Print & Marketing | Facilities Maintenance | Networking & WiFi |
| School Supplies | Facilities Maintenance | Projectors & Accessories |
| Shop Diversity Products | Mail & Ship | Shredders & Calculators |
| Staples Promotional Products | Mail & Ship | Label Makers & Tape |
| Office Supplies | Safety Supplies | Audio & Streaming |
| Paper | Signs, Banners & Posters | Cell Phones & Accessories |
| Computers & Accessories | Document Printing | Batteries & Power |
| Printers & Scanners | Business Cards | Phones & Electronics |
| Electronics | Marketing Materials | Home Automation |
| Furniture | Cards & Invitations | Storage Cabinets |
| Wearable Tech | Industry Print Solutions | Shelving |
| Software | Folders & Filing | Outdoor & Patio Furniture |
| Tech Product Showcase | Notebooks & Pads | Ergonomic Furniture |
| Computers | Binders & Accessories | Monitors |
| Ergonomic Accessories | Writing Supplies | Food & Break room |
| Bookcases | Bags & Briefcases | |
| Computer Accessories | Calendars & Planners |
Service Offered by Staples
- Printing Services
- Business Services
- Tech Services
- Travel Services
- Sustainability Services
- Furniture Services
- Graduation Cards
- Wedding Stationery
- Baby Stationery
- Thank You Cards
- Direct Mail
- Flyers
- Brochures
- Postcards
- Advertising Labels
- Promotional Products
- Health & Wellness
- Apparel
- Writing Instruments
- Business Cards
- Indoor Banners
- Cards & Invitations
- Scanning
- Computer Workstations
- Document Lamination
- In-Store Printing Services
- Online Digital Marketing Services
- Direct Mail
- Finance Services
- Virus Removal
- Virus Protection
- PC Tune-Up
- Device Setup
- Tech Support
- PC & Memory Upgrade
- Software Installation
- TSA Precheck
- Passport Photo In-store
- Passport Application
- Furniture Protection
- Furniture Assembly
Similarities between Office Depot and Staples
- In the USA, both Office Depot and Staples dominate the office supply industry
- Both Office Depot and Stables have a more comprehensive selection of products than Office Max and Walmart
- Office Depot and Staples offer discounts on similar kinds of products
- Both Office Depot and Staples have tens of thousands of locations in the United States
Differences between Office Depot and Staples
The main difference between Office Depot and Staples is Staples makes more revenue than Office Depot and Staples’s price is a touch higher than Office Depot. Office Depot’s prices for daily items are much lower than Staples’s. Moreover, Staples offers fewer discounts than Office Depot. Another important difference is the collection of products. Staples has the most extensive selection of office supplies than Office Depot or any other office supply company available in the USA. Moreover, Staples has a more effective and strong supply chain than Office Depot. Staples has a larger market share than Office Depot!
Comparison of Office Depot and Staples
1. Offers and Promotions
Staples doesn’t have any promotional days where customers might get some discount on their purchases. Moreover, Staples doesn’t offer student discounts because it is not featured on the company’s customer care page. On the other hand, Office Depot has various sales events throughout the year. During a sales event, students can get a 20 percent discount at Office Depot depending on the location. However, there is no discount available for online orders. Moreover, Office Depot stores in different places have different discount policies. So, if you are looking for a discount while buying office supplies, then you should choose Office Depot.
2. Shipping Charges
Staples offers free shipping for orders of $49 or above. However, there is no international shipping service at Staples. Oppositely, Office Depot in some circumstances offers international shipping. It also offers two-day free shipping for VIP members. However, if you are not a VIP member then you can still enjoy free shipping from Office Depot where your product will arrive in 4-5 business days. But you should understand that not all orders qualify for free shipping in Office Depot.
3. Payment Options
Office Depot accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Office Depot business cards, Discover, and Personal credit cards as payment methods. If you place an online order then you must have to make the payment via Credit card. To give the customers more options, Office Depot has added Office Depot gift cards, cash, checks, and PayPal as payment methods.
On the other hand, Staples accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover Checks as well as Staples credit cards and gift cards. However, you should know that Staples doesn’t accept credit cards from countries other than the United States. So, if you live outside the USA and don’t have any credit card from a USA bank then you can’t shop from Staples.
4. Return Policy
Both Office Depot and Staples allow their customers to return the products or exchange the products for free. But Office Depot and Staples have different return policies. Staples has a 30-day no-questions-asked return policy, on the other hand, Office Depot has a 90-day return policy. Both companies have only a 14-day return policy for products like laptops, desktops, tablets, etc.
Final Thought
Finally, both Office Depot and Staples are the best in the business and since their establishment, they are providing the highest quality office supplies. However, if you consider the above information then you will understand that Office Depot offers more facilities to its customers than Staples. Moreover, Office Depot offers products at a much lower price than Staples. So, in the end, the choice is up to you! But statistically, Office depot is better than Staples.
References:
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/staples-office-depot-comedic-comparison/story?id=28720450
https://chainstoreage.com/office-depot-parent-split-two-companies-staples-pursues-acquisition
Last Updated on November 13, 2022 by Magalie D.
Magalie D. is a Diploma holder in Public Administration & Management from McGill University of Canada. She shares management tips here in MGTBlog when she has nothing to do and gets some free time after working in a multinational company at Toronto.
