Are Office Depot and Staples the same?

Are you trying to figure out the difference between the big office supply chains? They seem to have similar stores, products, and even locations. This can make it hard to know if you are making the right choice for your business. Let’s clear up the confusion about these two industry giants.

No, Office Depot and Staples are not the same company. They are two separate, publicly traded corporations that have been direct competitors for decades. While they sell similar office supplies and stationery, they operate under different corporate structures. They also have distinct brand identities and unique histories, including separate merger attempts that have shaped who they are today. Understanding these differences is key for any business buyer.

The story of these two giants is more complex than it appears on the surface. They have a long history of intense competition, and their paths have crossed in some very significant ways. To really understand their relationship and what it means for you as a buyer, we need to look at their history, their branding, and how they compete in today’s market. Let’s dive into the details that set them apart.

Are Staples and Office Depot the same store?

When you walk into a big-box office supply store, you see endless aisles of pens, paper, and printers. It is easy to think they are all just copies of each other. This can make your sourcing decisions feel repetitive. But key differences in their history and structure set them apart.

No, they are not the same store. Staples and Office Depot are distinct retail chains and separate corporations. Staples, Inc. was founded in 1986 in Brighton, Massachusetts. Office Depot was founded that same year in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida. They have always been fierce rivals in the office supply market, competing for the same business, school, and individual customers across North America and beyond.

From my experience in the stationery industry, I have always seen them as two separate entities with different approaches. Although they were born in the same year, their corporate cultures and growth strategies took different paths. Staples often projected an image focused heavily on serving small to medium-sized businesses, while Office Depot built a very strong retail footprint for individual consumers and home offices.

Foundational Differences

Their origins tell a lot about their identities.

• Staples: The idea for Staples came when its founder, Tom Stemberg, was working on a business proposal over a holiday weekend and his printer ribbon broke. He couldn’t find a replacement because local stores were closed. He realized there was a need for a dedicated "superstore" for office supplies that offered a huge selection and reliable availability.
• Office Depot: Office Depot was founded by F. Patrick Sher, Stephen Dougherty, and Jack Kopkin, who saw a similar opportunity in the fragmented office products market. They opened their first store in Florida and quickly expanded.

This table shows their separate beginnings:

These foundational differences, while subtle, have influenced their brand strategies and the types of B2B relationships they build.

Has Staples and Office Depot merged?

You have probably heard rumors about a merger between these two giants. This kind of talk creates uncertainty about the future of the office supply market. It can make you wonder who your long-term partners might be. Let’s look at the facts behind the failed merger attempts.

Staples and Office Depot have never successfully merged. The most significant attempt was in 2015 when Staples announced its plan to acquire Office Depot. However, in 2016, a U.S. federal judge blocked the deal due to antitrust concerns. The government argued that a merger would create a monopoly in the corporate office supply contract market, hurting business customers with higher prices.

I remember when the news of the 2015 merger attempt broke. Many of us in the stationery manufacturing business watched it very closely. A successful merger would have created a single, massive buyer. This would have drastically changed the landscape for suppliers like us, consolidating immense purchasing power into one entity. The failure of that deal has kept the market competitive, which is ultimately a good thing for both suppliers and B2B customers. The history of their attempted mergers is a lesson in market dynamics.

A History of Blocked Deals

The 2015 attempt wasn’t the first time they tried to join forces.

• The 1997 Attempt: Staples first tried to acquire Office Depot in 1997. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also blocked that deal for similar antitrust reasons. The FTC argued that in many markets, they were the only two major office superstores, and a merger would eliminate healthy competition.
• The 2015 Attempt: By 2015, the market had changed. The rise of online retailers like Amazon was putting huge pressure on brick-and-mortar stores. Staples argued that the competitive landscape was much broader now. They believed a merger was necessary to compete effectively. However, regulators focused specifically on the B2B contract market, where they felt the two companies held too much power over large corporate accounts.

The key reason for the block was to protect competition. Regulators believed that if one company controlled the market for large business contracts, it could dictate prices without any real challenge. This would have been bad for businesses, schools, and government agencies that rely on competitive bids for their office supplies.

What is the other name for Office Depot?

Just when you think you have the names straight, you see another brand: OfficeMax. This adds another layer of confusion. It makes you wonder if it is a third competitor or part of the same family. Let’s clarify the relationship between Office Depot and OfficeMax.

Office Depot is also known by the name OfficeMax. In 2013, Office Depot and OfficeMax completed a "merger of equals." This created a single, more powerful company to better compete against Staples and the growing threat of online retailers. For a time, you would see stores co-branded as "Office Depot OfficeMax," but they now operate under one parent company, The ODP Corporation.

This merger was a huge event in our industry. It happened two years before Staples tried to buy the combined company. For us as suppliers, it meant that two of our major customers were becoming one. We had to adapt our processes to work with the new, larger organization. For a buyer like Michael in Germany, understanding this structure is important because it clarifies who you are actually dealing with at a corporate level. The name on the store is just one part of a much larger business structure.

Understanding The ODP Corporation

The merger of Office Depot and OfficeMax created a new parent company. It’s important to know how it’s organized, especially for B2B interactions.

• The ODP Corporation: This is the holding company at the top. It manages the overall strategy and different business units.
• Office Depot, LLC: This division handles the retail side of the business. It includes the physical Office Depot and OfficeMax stores and the e-commerce website officedepot.com. This is the face of the company for individual consumers and small businesses.
• ODP Business Solutions: This is the dedicated B2B division. It serves medium and large businesses, schools, and government agencies with contract pricing, dedicated account managers, and specialized services. If you are a corporate buyer, this is the part of the company you would work with.
• Veyer: This is their supply chain and logistics division, which also serves other businesses.

Here is a simple breakdown of the structure:

Knowing this helps you target the right people and understand that their B2B operations are separate from their retail stores.

Does Staples match Office Depot?

As a buyer, you are always looking for the best value and service. With two major players in the market, it is tough to know if their offerings are truly competitive. You want to know if they match each other on price and services. Let’s compare their key business strategies.

In many ways, yes. Staples and Office Depot are direct competitors, so they "match" each other on many fronts. This includes product selection, pricing strategies, and services for business customers. Both offer price matching guarantees for identical items to stay competitive. They also provide similar business services like printing, shipping, and tech support. However, their loyalty programs, private label brands, and B2B contract specifics can differ.

From a manufacturer’s perspective, we see this competition play out in their requests for private label products. Both companies are always pushing for innovation, better quality, and competitive costs for their store brands. For example, we might get a request from Office Depot’s team for their TUL pen line, focusing on a sleek design and smooth writing experience. A few months later, Staples might approach us for their TRU RED line, asking for a product with a different ergonomic grip and a bold color palette. This constant back-and-forth ensures that both companies offer high-quality, competitive products to their customers.

A Head-to-Head Comparison

While they are similar, the differences are in the details. For a professional buyer, these details matter.

The biggest differences for a B2B buyer often lie within their private label brands and the structure of their business solutions divisions. Brands like TUL from Office Depot have a loyal following for their quality pens, while Staples’ TRU RED brand covers a wide range of well-designed office essentials. When you are sourcing for your company, evaluating these exclusive brands can be a deciding factor. Similarly, the specific terms, support, and online platforms offered by Staples Business Advantage versus ODP Business Solutions can make one a better fit for your company’s needs.

Conclusion

In short, Staples and Office Depot are not the same. They are separate, long-standing competitors. A merger between them was blocked to protect competition. However, Office Depot did merge with OfficeMax. Both companies now compete fiercely, matching each other on price while offering unique private brands and business services.