Staples to Sell Barcode Solutions to SMBs

Targeting its smaller commercial customers, Staples’ 1,400 U.S.-based store shelves now feature two new barcode solution packages designed for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

In October, software departments across the Framingham, Mass.-based office-supply chain began carrying the WaspLabeler and the WaspNest suite, from Wasp Barcode Technologies, Plano, Texas. The WaspLabeler enables users to quickly create and print barcode labels for product, inventory, shipping and mailing labels. Meanwhile, the WaspNest suite features a barcode scanner, barcode-labeling software and tracking software for basic inventory and asset tracking.

Both solutions are designed to aid the SMB marketplace—a demographic that relies on major retailers, such as Staples, as its primary resource for office supplies, according to Steve Coffman, president of Wasp Barcode Technologies.

In fact, research from IDC confirms that a growing number of small-business owners purchase technology products from office superstores, including Staples, according to Merle Sandler, research manager for SMB and home office programs at IDC. “For example, one in five small firms currently purchase PCs from office superstores.”

Based on these statistics, “Staples is an ideal retailer for Wasp’s affordable barcoding solutions,” said Coffman. “The solutions will further help small companies dramatically improve their productivity and profitability.”