Copyright AL.com
COVID changed the way America worked, with a major shift towards work from home and remote offices. And even with a growing RTO – return to office – trend, there’s almost no such thing anymore as a normal 9-5. Remote work and a growing reliance on technology have changed another aspect of office life, too. Gone are the days of heavy dependence on office supplies, the everyday things such as paper, pens and paperclips. Now, if those things are needed, it’s just as quick to order them from an online retailer like Amazon so they can arrive at your office door. That shift has hurt companies that specialize in office products. That’s readily apparent in the latest developments with well-known retailers Office Depot and Office Max. The chain has closed more than 1,100 stores since they merged in 2013 and more shutdowns are likely. In the second quarter of 2025, The Street reports the joint office supply chain closed 60 locations. A handful of others closed in 2024. As of 2025, the store count was 830 locations, down from 922 the previous year. ODP Corp. owns both retailers. The Florida-based ODP agreed to be taken private earlier this year by an affiliate of Atlas Holdings. That change, Total Retail pointed out, “signals a renewed focus on operational efficiency and a leaner cost structure for the office supplies company.” “Going private may enable ODP to make long-term investments in the business by freeing it from being so quarterly-earnings focused. These investments, whether in product, supply chain, marketing, real estate, etc., could help strengthen the business going forward,” the analysis noted. ODP’s deal with Atlas is expected to close by the end of the year.
