Brand Intelligence Graph
Company Overview
About Staples
Staples is the largest office supplies retailer in the United States, founded in 1986 in Brighton, Massachusetts. The company pioneered the office superstore format and built its brand on the promise of making office supply purchasing convenient and affordable for businesses and consumers alike. Staples was taken private by Sycamore Partners in 2017 and has since been undergoing a significant strategic transformation away from commodity product retail toward services-led revenue.
Business Model & Competitive Advantage
Staples operates approximately 916 US retail stores and a large B2B commercial division serving businesses directly. The company's retail stores have evolved into multi-service destinations offering printing, shipping, passport photo services, and in-store partnerships with Verizon and Apple — making stores a hub for business services rather than just product sales. The B2B commercial division, which serves small businesses and enterprise accounts with recurring supply contracts, has become the more strategically important revenue stream as retail foot traffic has declined.
Competitive Landscape 2025–2026
Staples generates substantial revenue across its retail and commercial segments, though the company does not disclose detailed financials as a private entity. Its 2025–2026 strategy focuses on growing the services footprint in stores, expanding the B2B commercial business through direct sales and e-commerce, and differentiating from Amazon Business through the combination of physical presence, service offerings, and category expertise. The pivot to services represents a credible response to the existential challenge that e-commerce has posed to traditional office supply retail.
The Staples Story
The Breakthrough Moment
Founded May 1986 Brighton MA by Tom Stemberg (Harvard MBA, couldn't buy printer ribbon July 4th, office supply superstore vision). 1989 IPO. 2001 Easy Button viral $5 novelty 1M+ sold. 2017 Sycamore PE $7B take-private. Amazon Business $35B competition. $9B 2024, 1,000 stores, B2B 75%.
Original Mission
"To make buying office supplies easy and affordable for small businesses and consumers by offering a vast selection at warehouse-style discount prices with convenient locations."
Founders
Recent Activity
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Major milestones in Staples's journey
Frequently Asked Questions
Estimated Visibility Trend (Beta)
Simulated 8-week rolling score
Based on estimated brand signals. Historical tracking coming soon.
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