Staples Canada rolls its business services into one brand

Staples Canada has launched a new brand called Staples Business. It puts office supplies, technology, print and facilities services under one name for Canadian business customers. The company says the goal is simpler buying and easier account management.

What changed

Staples Canada, based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, says the new brand will simplify purchasing for business customers. Chris Saniga, its chief B2B officer, said the brand builds on more than 30 years of supporting Canadian businesses. B2B simply means selling to other businesses rather than to everyday shoppers.

The brand has two tiers. One is for smaller businesses. The other is for larger buyers that need custom pricing and dedicated account support. Staples has nearly 300 outlets in Canada, and its Quebec stores use the Bureau en Gros name.

Why Staples is doing it

Marty Bauer, an ecommerce expert at Omnisend, called it more than a cosmetic rebrand. He said it is a step toward defending the market against Amazon Business. In his view, business buyers care about time and efficiency as much as price.

Bauer said bringing products together, from janitorial supplies to IT hardware, means one account manager can be responsible for all of a client's needs. That should cut paperwork for both sides. He added that Staples may not win on price, but it can compete on expertise and on meeting specific needs.

What each tier may want

• Smaller firms may care most about automated checkout, clear information and fast replies.
• Larger firms tend to expect contract pricing, custom product catalogs and dedicated account managers.
• Rich Pleeth of Finmile said consolidated invoicing and agreed pricing could matter more to big buyers than a small discount.

The real test

Pleeth said a dedicated brand can make Staples' wider offer easier to understand. Someone who thinks of Staples for printer paper may not think of it for IT support. But he noted that customers still need a reason to change suppliers.

He also named the hard part. If a business orders laptops, chairs and printed materials for a new office, can someone coordinate the delivery and fix anything missing? If the customer still has to chase three departments, he said, the brand has promised more than the operation delivers.

What to do

A business that buys from Staples, or is thinking about it, can ask who handles problems across different product types. The coverage does not say how prices compare, how existing accounts will move over, or when any changes take effect. Those answers are worth getting directly.