Description: Unable to compete against online sales, Staples, the largest U.S. office-supply retailer, will close up to 225 stores in North America. This is an effort to cut costs by $500 million by 2015—Staples hopes that it will make the company more efficient.

Source: CBC

Date: March 06, 2014

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/staples-to-close-225-stores-in-u-s-canada-1.2562302

Questions for Discussion:

1. Discuss the ongoing changes in big box office-supply retail stores?
2. Judge the effects of recent changes—(a) Staples closing down sores, and (b) Office Depot and OfficeMax undergoing a merger—on the sale of office supply products in North America?
3. Propose an alternative strategy for Staples to compete against online sales of office-supply products?