Exhibit 21.1

Subsidiaries of the Company

|Name of Subsidiary                                              |  | Jurisdiction of
Incorporation |  | Name under which
they do business
|--------------------------------------------------------------- |  | ----------------------------- |  | ---------------------------------
|3053840 Nova Scotia Company                                     |  | Nova Scotia                   |  | same                             
|3053841 Nova Scotia Company                                     |  | Nova Scotia                   |  | same                             
|3094494 Nova Scotia Company                                     |  | Nova Scotia                   |  | same                             
|Agawam Mill, LP                                                 |  | Delaware                      |  | same                             
|Beijing Staples Commerce & Trade Co., Ltd.                      |  | China                         |  | same                             
|Bernard Belgium SA                                              |  | Belgium                       |  | same                             
|Bernard France SAS                                              |  | France                        |  | same                             
|Bernard Supplies Limited                                        |  | UK                            |  | same                             
|Business Office Supply B.V.                                     |  | Netherlands                   |  | Office Centre                    
|Cherokee Mill, LP                                               |  | Delaware                      |  | same                             
|Clip & Paper B.V.                                               |  | Netherlands                   |  | same                             
|Coppell Mill, LP                                                |  | Delaware                      |  | same                             
|Damster Kantooristallaties B.V.                                 |  | Netherlands                   |  | same                             
|Fareham Developments (One) Limited                              |  | United Kingdom                |  | same                             
|Fareham Developments (Two) Limited                              |  | United Kingdom                |  | same                             
|Hong Kong Staples Brands Limited                                |  | China                         |  | same                             
|Idasil Investimentos Imobiliarios S.A.                          |  | Portugal                      |  | IDASIL                           
|IN Designs Global, Inc.                                         |  | Delaware                      |  | American Identity                
|Jean Paul Guisset -JPG France SAS                               |  | France                        |  | JPG                              
|JPG Benelux Sp.r.l.                                             |  | Belgium                       |  | same                             
|JPG Netherlands B.V.                                            |  | Netherlands                   |  | JPG Quill                        
|Kross Office Outfitters, Inc.                                   |  | Kansas                        |  | same                             
|Lebanon Mill, LP                                                |  | Delaware                      |  | same                             
|Malling Beck AsP                                                |  | Denmark                       |  | same                             
|Medical Arts Press, Inc.                                        |  | Minnesota                     |  | MAP                              
|Milbro, Inc.                                                    |  | Delaware                      |  | same                             
|MondOffice s.r.l.                                               |  | Italy                         |  | same                             
|Neat Ideas Limited                                              |  | United Kingdom                |  | same                             
|OA365 International Company Limited                             |  | Cayman Islands                |  | same                             
|Officenet Comercio de Materias para Escritorio Ltda.            |  | Brazil                        |  | same                             
|Officenet, B2 ExpressComercio, Servicos e Representacoes Ltda. |  | Brazil                        |  | same                             
|Office Net S.A.                                                 |  | Argentina                     |  | same                             
|OFCEPOffice Centre PortugalEquipamento de Escritório, Lda     |  | Portugal                      |  | Office Centre                    
|Peterborough, L.P.                                              |  | Ontario, Canada               |  | same                             
|Pressel AG                                                      |  | Switzerland                   |  | same                             
|Pressel Kereskedelmi Kft.                                       |  | Hungary                       |  | same                             
|Pressel Post B.V.                                               |  | Netherlands                   |  | same                             
|Pressel Post b.v.b.a.                                           |  | Belgium                       |  | same                             
|Pressel Sarl                                                    |  | France                        |  | same                             
|Pressel Sp z.o.o                                                |  | Poland                        |  | same                             
|Pressel Systems Sp z.o.o                                        |  | Poland                        |  | same                             
|Pressel Systems spol.s.r.o.                                     |  | Czech Republic                |  | same                             
|Pressel Versand GmbH                                            |  | Germany                       |  | same                             

---



|Pressel Versand International GmbH              |  | Austria        |  | same               
|----------------------------------------------- |  | -------------- |  | -------------------
|QSDD UK Limited                                 |  | United Kingdom |  | same               
|Quill Corporation                               |  | Delaware       |  | same               
|Quill Kontorslagret AB                          |  | Sweden         |  | Quill Kontorslagret
|Quill Lincolnshire, Inc.                        |  | Delaware       |  | same               
|Reliable France SAS                             |  | France         |  | same               
|Sistemas Kalamazoo S.L.                         |  | Spain          |  | same               
|Smilemakers Canada, Inc.                        |  | South Carolina |  | same               
|Smilemakers for Children Company                |  | Canada         |  | same               
|Smilemakers, Inc.                               |  | South Carolina |  | same               
|SOM Hagerstown, Inc.                            |  | Delaware       |  | same               
|Staples (Deutschland) GmbH                      |  | Germany        |  | same               
|Staples Airport Express, L.L.C.                 |  | Delaware       |  | same               
|Staples (Asia) Investments Limited              |  | Cayman Islands |  | same               
|Staples Austria GmbH                            |  | Austria        |  | same               
|Staples Belgium BVBA                            |  | Belgium        |  | same               
|Staples Brand Consulting (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.   |  | China          |  | same               
|Staples Business Insurance Agency, L.L.C.       |  | Massachusetts  |  | same               
|Staples Catalog SAS                             |  | France         |  | same               
|Staples (China) Investment Co., Ltd.            |  | China          |  | same               
|Staples Commerce & Trade Company Ltd.           |  | China          |  | same               
|Staples Connecticut, Inc.                       |  | Connecticut    |  | same               
|Staples Contract & Commercial, Inc.             |  | Delaware       |  | same               
|Staples Delivery Limited                        |  | United Kingdom |  | same               
|Staples Dutch Management BV                     |  | Netherlands    |  | same               
|Staples Employment Services Limited             |  | United Kingdom |  | same               
|Staples Enterprise Risk Solutions, Inc.         |  | Vermont        |  | same               
|Staples Europe Holdings, G. P.                  |  | Bermuda        |  | same               
|Staples Express at the Airport, L.L.C.          |  | Delaware       |  | same               
|Staples Foundation for Learning, Inc.           |  | Massachusetts  |  | same               
|Staples France Holding SAS                      |  | France         |  | same               
|Staples Global Holdings, L.P.                   |  | Bermuda        |  | same               
|Staples Global Markets, Inc.                    |  | Delaware       |  | Global Identity    
|Staples GP, LLC                                 |  | Delaware       |  | same               
|Staples Hong Kong Investments Limited           |  | Hong Kong      |  | same               
|Staples Insurance Agency, Inc.                  |  | Delaware       |  | same               
|Staples Intermediary Holdings L.P.              |  | Bermuda        |  | same               
|Staples International Limited                   |  | United Kingdom |  | same               
|Staples International, Inc.                     |  | Delaware       |  | same               
|Staples Luxco S.a.r.l.                          |  | Luxembourg     |  | same               
|Staples Mail Order UK Limited                   |  | United Kingdom |  | same               
|Staples Netherlands B.V.                        |  | Netherlands    |  | same               
|Staples of Maryland, LLC                        |  | Delaware       |  | same               
|Staples Office Centre Grosshandels GmbH & Co.KG |  | Germany        |  | same               
|Staples Office Centre Verwaltungs GmbH          |  | Germany        |  | same               
|Staples Partners, LLC                           |  | Delaware       |  | same               

---



|Staples PeiPei Office (Jiangsu) Products Co. Ltd.  |  | China           |  | same                                                                    
|-------------------------------------------------- |  | --------------- |  | ------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Staples Product Sourcing Group Europe, B.V.B.A.    |  | Belgium         |  | same                                                                    
|Staples Security Corporation                       |  | Massachusetts   |  | same                                                                    
|Staples the Office Superstore East, Inc.           |  | Delaware        |  | same                                                                    
|Staples the Office Superstore, Limited Partnership |  | Massachusetts   |  | same                                                                    
|Staples the Office Superstore, LLC                 |  | Delaware        |  | same                                                                    
|Staples Transportation LLC                         |  | Delaware        |  | same                                                                    
|Staples UK Limited                                 |  | United Kingdom  |  | same                                                                    
|Staples UK Retail Limited                          |  | United Kingdom  |  | Office World                                                            
|Staples UPS Business Services Co. Ltd.             |  | China           |  | same                                                                    
|Staples Value, LLC                                 |  | Virginia        |  | same                                                                    
|Sundex SNC                                         |  | France          |  | same                                                                    
|The Business Depot, Ltd.                           |  | Ontario, Canada |  | Staples The Business Depot
Staples The Office Superstore
Bureau en Gross
|UB Staples Corporation Limited                     |  | Cayman Islands  |  | same                                                                    
|Wellbox Handels GmbH                               |  | Austria         |  | same                                                                    

---



QuickLinks