Office Depot works with Divaris Real Estate  to find new locations throughout Virginia.

Office Depot Supplies New Store Concept

HAMPTON ROADS, VIRGINIA:  The average workspace is equipped with dozens, maybe hundreds of supplies.   There are pens, pencils, files, note pads, tape, paper clips, binders, even staples.  Many office workers rarely think of these commodities – they just shop through the company closet and stock up at will.   But someone at each corporation is responsible for choosing a supplier and restocking the shelves. 

Office Depot supplies offices on an international scale -- and it’s stocked with a lot more than pens and paper clips.   Its brand name merchandise includes business machines, computers, software and office furniture.   It has also pioneered business services including copying, printing, document reproduction, mailing and shipping -- all under the same roof as the office supplies.  It’s a one-stop shop for both merchandise and service for its customers that include small office/home office (SoHo), medium-sized and large businesses located in the U.S. and in 22 other countries. 

With annual sales of nearly $12.5 billion, no one sells more office supplies to more customers in more countries than Office Depot. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida, the company conducts business in 23 countries and employs nearly 50,000 people worldwide in its 912 office supply superstores and 37 delivery centers.

In a billion dollar a year industry like office supplies, it must take a lot of vision to become the number one seller in the world! 

Office Depot’s strategy for a retail store network is simple - dedicate resources and assets in markets that are strong and profitable.  The company plans to open new store locations that are well positioned in the heart of high traffic retail areas and continue expansion in already strong density markets.  The company prefers to consider sites near enclosed regional and super regional malls, power centers, community strip centers and downtown/central business district properties.   Preferred co-tenants include discount and outlet stores.   Currently, Office Depot is concentrating on markets with high concentrations of smaller offices, with under 20 employees. 

In the case of the ever increasingly popular home office, convenience is key.  As medium and small business owners make up more of Office Depot’s bottom line, “location, location, location” becomes the retailers’ mantra.   The company is working with Divaris Real Estate, Inc. to find 19,000-square-foot sites in Richmond, Charlottesville and Hampton Roads, Virginia.   Lori Campbell of the Virginia Beach office and Debbie Wake of the Richmond office are heading up the account.  Office Depots already secured by Divaris include stores in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk and Hampton, Virginia and Severna Park, Maryland.

The new stores are expected to be examples of the Company’s Millennium Store concept, which display more modern colors and newer product lines in a “Starbucks” type feel.  The new stores are based on a more efficient and flexible platform tailored to meet the needs of the trade area; all with enhanced lighting, improved signage, new plan-o-grams, and free customer access to the Internet for shopping online.

Office Depot is the leader in nearly every distribution channel, not just its 1,000 retail stores, but also global Internet sites, business-to-business e-commerce, contract delivery, and direct mail catalogs. In North America, Office Depot has more than 870 retail stores.   Its national business-to-business delivery network is supported by 24 delivery centers, more than 60 local sales offices and 13 regional call centers.