Office Depot, LLC

A range of new Samsung brand smart printers and tablet computers are being added to the product mix at Office Depot and OfficeMax stores following an expanded partnership between the retailer and consumer electronics company.

Steve Mahurin has left Orchard Supply Hardware, where the veteran home improvement merchant and retail industry executive held the title chief retail officer.

According to the San Jose, Calif.-based retailer, Mahurin’s position was eliminated as the company transitions to a focus on operations and expansion.

With the official start of summer underway, one-third of small to medium-size business owners (SMBs) say they will not be able to take a vacation this year, according to the latest Small Business Index conducted by Office Depot.

Those who are able to get away this year can do so because they have reliable staff to cover for them while they are away from the office (35%) and have technology that keeps them connected no matter where they are (32%).

Office Depot is kicking off its latest back-to-school campaign — Gotta Get It! — which includes more than 1,000 items for $5 or less in stores and online. The company is also offering a new price-match policy to shoppers year-round to drive traffic to Office Depot and OfficeMax locations.

Store closings are hardly an infrequent topic in this space. As a barometer for both the performance of individual brands and the market at large, they are an important part of the equation for any retail analyst. Store closings are part of healthy portfolio management for any brand, and, on a larger scale, bankruptcies and reorganizations are a reflection of the market at work.

Boca Raton, Fla. - Office Depot and OfficeMax are now offering a single, combined insert in Sunday newspapers representing products and services being offered at both brands’ retail stores. The move marks the first advertisement where Office Depot and OfficeMax customers will see the two national brands together as one.

The insert also features tips on additional ways customers can shop via website, mobile app or via phone.

Office Depot has integrated its Office Depot and OfficeMax brands by launching on Sunday a single, combined insert offering savings on products and services being offered at both retail banners.

The move marks the first advertisement where Office Depot and OfficeMax customers will see the two national brands together as one.

Boca Raton, Fla. -- Office Depot will close at least 400 U.S. stores during the next two years as part of its plan to consolidate operations after its acquisition of OfficeMax last November. The closings were not unexpected since there are many locations where the two brands have stores in close proximity to one another. The retailer also raised its full-year adjusted operating income forecast after reporting better-than-expected first quarter results amid cost cutting efforts.

Office Depot said it plans to close 400 of its 2,000 stores as it looks to realize efficiencies related to its merger with OfficeMax.

An estimated 150 of the stores will close this year, according to company, which reported first quarter results and continued weakness in same store sales. The company anticipates that the closures will generate annual run-rate synergies of at least $75 million by the end of 2016 and will begin to be accretive to earnings in 2015.

Real estate is a complex issue no matter what industry you’re in. For retailers, who typically operate on slim margins and are generally the first industry to feel the effects of variations in consumer spending, navigating the tricky waters of real estate can be especially challenging.