SHOP WITH US Heritage and experience Fort Lauderdale, Florida - 1986 1986: Simple beginnings Office Depot, Inc. was founded in 1986 and opened its first store in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Office Depot went public with a listing on the NASDAQ in 1988. By the end of 1990 Office Depot had grown to almost 200 stores with sales topping $626million. That same year, Office Depot announced its merger with The Office Club, Inc., becoming the largest office products retailer in North America. 1990 – 1998: Rapid growth Office Depot Inc continued to grow in the following years with acquisitions of various brands including H.Q. Office International, Inc., which included the Great Canadian Office Supplies Warehouse chain in western Canada, Wilson Stationery & Printing Company and Eastman Office Products Corporation. With 500 retail stores in the United States and annual sales of $5bn, the company began a global growth strategy and between 1990 and 1998, Office Depot stores were opened in Israel, Colombia, Poland, Hungary, Thailand, Mexico, Japan and France. European Headquarters, Venlo, Netherlands 1998: Mergers go digital In 1998, Office Depot merged with Viking Office Products, a public company based in The Netherlands and the world’s leading direct mail marketer of office supplies – making the company the leading provider of office products and services on the planet. Office Depot also launched its first websites, www.officedepot.com, which established the company as the industry’s technology leader, expanded its domestic e-commerce capabilities, and extended the range of products and services it offered. The following year, the company launched its first European eCommerce site, www.viking-direct.co.uk, in the United Kingdom. 2011: Merging giants Office Depot continued to expand through acquisitions, mergers and partnerships in Europe, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific region in subsequent years. And in 2006 Office Depot celebrated its 20th anniversary, employing more than 50,000 people, with sales hitting the $15billion mark. In 2011, Office Depot and OfficeMax merged to create Office Depot Inc.; an even stronger, more efficient provider of business products, services and solutions for every kind of workplace. 2017: The Aurelius Era In 2016, after an unsuccessful merger with Staples, Office Depot Inc. reached an agreement with the AURELIUS Group for them to acquire the European operations of Office Depot. This transaction closed on 1 January 2017. Want to work with us? Become a part of our history and shape your future. Join us and be inspired. WE’RE HIRING! The leading expert in workplace solutions for everyone, everywhere. VIKING – SHOP NOW AT – Viking BE – Viking CH – Viking DE – Viking IE – Viking NL – Viking UK – Viking OFFICE DEPOT – LEARN MORE DE – Why Office Depot IE – Why Office Depot NL – Why Office Depot UK – Why Office Depot International – Why Office Depot NEWS CENTRE: LATEST The sale of Office Depot Europe, including Viking and the Office Depot Europe operating business, to RAJA Group has completed 2 November 2021 Viking completes rollout of SAP Commerce Cloud in Switzerland in alignment with its Viking+ Programme 20 October 2021 The sale of parts of the UK and Ireland contract business of Office Depot Europe to OT Group is completed 27 September 2021 RAJA Group acquires Office Depot Europe, including Viking and the Office Depot Europe operating business 16 August 2021 Office Depot Europe unifies Human Resources Management with Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM 13 July 2021 USEFUL LINKS Anti-slavery and human trafficking statement Cookies Impressum Privacy and security Terms of use FIND US ON LINKEDIN Viking and/or Office Depot trademarks and related trade names are used under license from GTM Development Limited registered in Ireland at 16 Fitzwilliam Street Upper, Dublin 2, D02 Y221 with registration number 594997. We, our affiliated entities and/or our licensors own all content made available through the site. Such content is subject to copyright, trademark or other intellectual property rights and laws. Unless expressly stated otherwise, you may not reproduce, modify, disseminate or otherwise exploit our content in any way or form without our prior express approval. Press enquiries: eu-communications@officedepot.eu linkedin By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookie policy Accept All Cookies Cookies Settings