Dive Summary:
- Staples had responded to a decrease in demand for office supply essentials by stocking less traditional items as part of an assortment of “summer celebration essentials,” according to an article published for RetailingToday.com.
- Expanding upon its current cache of merchandise, Staples is currently stocking items such as food condiments, grills, coolers, outdoor furniture and other accessories aimed at boosting July 4th revenue.
- "We’ve added thousands of new items, and shoppers can find everything from barbecue grills to picnic snacks to customized banners for reunions and gatherings." said Mike Edwards of Staples North America.
From the article:
... Breakroom supplies was singled out, along with tables and copy and print services, as one of the categories that helped Staples offset weakness in other areas of its North American retail business during the first quarter. Even so, sales weren’t good and declined 4% to nearly $2.8 billion as the company closed 48 stores and same store sales declined 2%. During the fourth quarter, same store sales declined 5% and for the full 2012 fiscal year dropped 2%. ...
