Staples Enters Stationery-to-your-door Market

In a bid to shake off rivals Amazon and similar B2B delivery channels, Staples has developed a new US marketing strategy—only the fourth in its 31-year history.

According to opi.net, Staples has scrapped its ‘Make More Happen’ slogan and replaced it with ‘It’s Pro Time.‘ The iconic office supplies retailer “remains first and foremost a retailer in the eyes of American consumers, so the ‘It’s Pro Time’ message is the latest attempt to shake off this image.”

A nationwide television commercial campaign across the USA will see office managers fixing photocopiers and mopping up spills. opi.net says actual products are barely present in the advertisements, and stores don’t feature at all. Instead, Staples’ delivery business takes center stage. Even its upcoming back-to-school ad is believed to cast the mom as the “working professional,” relying on Staples’ delivery to equip the kids.

While Staples has provided a delivery service since the early 1990s it has barely featured this core business in any of its previous advertising.

Staples Chief Marketing Officer Frank Bifulco said: “Throughout the campaign, we believe our customers will see themselves – office managers, small business owners, janitors, consumers, facilities managers, purchasing managers, IT experts and assistants. The campaign is a reminder that with the right supply-set, skill-set and mind
set, people can achieve anything.”

After its merger with Office Depot was blocked last year, Staples decided to focus on its B2B delivery operations to gain more of the $80 billion-a-year US mid-market segment. opi.net claims just 20% of company sales to come from retail by 2020 it expects. The reseller still has around 1,500 outlets in North America but has been busy reducing that number, with another 70 stores set to close this year.

Watch the advertisements here.