US Staples to takeover Dutch Corporate Express

By Margarita Snegireva. U.S Staples is in early-stage talks to buy Dutch office goods supplier Corporate Express.

Photo: US Staples to takeover Dutch Corporate Express

US Staples to takeover Dutch Corporate Express

"How the acquisition will look like is unclear. The talks are early stage," a Staples source was quoted as saying in Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

A Corporate Express spokeswoman declined to comment.

Corporate Express N.V. is a Dutch company that supplies office products to businesses and institutions. The firm was known as Buhrmann prior to April 20, 2007, when it changed its trading name to that of its most well known brand, taken from the United States-based corporation it acquired in 1999.

Staples, Inc. is the world's largest office supply retail store chain, with over 1,962 stores worldwide, including stores in the United States, Canada (as Staples Business Depot or Bureau en Gros in Quebec), Belgium (as Office Centre), Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands (as Office Centre), Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and India. The company has catalog and delivery businesses and serves customers in Argentina and Brazil (as Officene), China, France, Denmark, Austria and Italy. Staples, Inc. sells supplies, office machines, furniture, technology and business services. The company's first store was opened in Brighton, Massachusetts in 1986. The company is headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts. It also does business via the Internet, through Staples.com, its website.

The L in the logo is a stylized staple.