The stores have now been named Office Outlet by new owner Hilco Capital.
Retail Week reported that the 106 Staples stores in the UK have been renamed Office Outlet by the new owner Hilco Capital, which bought the company last year. In November The Recycler reported that the UK arm had been sold to the restructuring company, which was planning to close the stores, Hilco stating at the time that it “was planning to phase out Staples-branded shops over the coming months”, though the fate of its online and B2B operations were not discussed.
The Recycler also reported that “over 1,000 workers at Staples [had been] left fearing for their jobs” as a result of the takeover, though the newspaper added that “some stores may remain open, however under a different name”, with the Staples name expected to disappear “from the high street in the next six months”. While “it [was] not yet known what [would] happen to the 106 stores and the 1,100 staff who work at them”, Hilco was aiming to “spend the coming months reviewing” the business.
The restructuring firm, which also owns UK entertainment chain HMV, said the Staples stores would be transformed in “record time”, and Retail Week added that “the entire rebadging process, along with the installation of a new EPOS system, is due to be completed by the end of this week”. The “fresh branding” on the stores “is in keeping with Staples’ traditional red and white colour scheme”, Hilco added.
Matt Bone, Hilco Capital’s Marketing Director, told Retail Week that “the reality is we’re kicking everything off very quickly and then we’ll be refining the proposition in the weeks to come with an improved product mix and much better pricing and promotions”.