If a Staples near you recently closed, it’s easy to assume the worst. Store closures feel significant, especially when you’ve been relying on that location for printing, office supplies, or other business needs. But closing a few stores is not the same as a company shutting down entirely — and that distinction matters here.
This article covers what’s actually happening with Staples: whether the company is going out of business, why certain stores are closing, how many locations remain, what Staples is doing to adapt, and what all of this means for customers, employees, and business owners who depend on them.
Staples Is Not Going Out of Business
Let’s get straight to the point. Staples is not going out of business. The company is closing select locations, but there is no bankruptcy filing, no liquidation, and no companywide shutdown happening right now.
According to reporting from TheStreet and data from Usearch, the risk of Staples entering bankruptcy is currently assessed as low. The company is trimming its retail footprint, which is a very different situation from a business in collapse.
Think about a restaurant chain that closes three locations in slow markets while keeping 50 others open. That’s not the same as the chain going out of business. The same logic applies here. A store closing in your city tells you something about that specific location — not about the health of the entire company.
How Many Staples Stores Have Actually Closed
The numbers give a clearer picture than the headlines do. According to TheStreet, Staples’ U.S. store count dropped from 929 to 916 over a four-month period. That’s a net reduction of 13 stores — modest, not catastrophic.
Some closures have been confirmed publicly. A Staples location in Frederick, Maryland is scheduled to close in March 2026. A Waterville, Maine location is closing in April 2026. These are real closures, and they matter to the people who used those stores. But they represent individual decisions about specific locations, not a chain-wide exit from retail.
It’s also worth being clear about what a store count reduction actually means. Going from 929 to 916 stores is not an extinction-level event. It’s a company making calculated decisions about which locations are worth keeping open. Most retailers do this on an ongoing basis.
If your local Staples closed, that doesn’t mean the next closest location is closing too. Each closure is based on the performance and lease economics of that specific store.
Why Staples Has Been Closing Stores Since 2014
This isn’t a new trend. According to Wikipedia’s entry on Staples Inc., the company began closing selected locations as far back as 2014. That’s over a decade of gradual store reduction — which means what you’re seeing now is the continuation of a long-term strategy, not a sudden crisis.
The reason is straightforward. E-commerce changed buying behavior for office supplies. When workers can order paper, ink cartridges, and folders online and have them delivered the next day, fewer people have a reason to drive to a store. Digital workflows have also reduced demand for physical products entirely. Many offices use less paper now than they did ten years ago.
When customer traffic drops in a particular market, a store’s lease cost becomes harder to justify. Closing that location is a rational business response, not a sign that the whole company is struggling.
The pattern here is slow and deliberate. Staples has been adjusting its store model for years in response to real market pressure. That’s not the behavior of a company about to disappear — it’s the behavior of a company trying to stay profitable in a changing environment.
Where Staples Is Actually Putting Its Focus Now
Here’s something that often gets missed in these closure conversations: Staples is actively investing in the locations that remain open.
The company has shifted significant focus toward B2B (business-to-business) sales and online orders. This part of the business serves companies that need regular bulk purchases of supplies, and it doesn’t depend on physical foot traffic the same way a retail store does. That segment is growing, not contracting.
On the retail side, Staples has been adding new services to some locations to give customers more reasons to walk in. According to TheStreet, some stores have added or are testing passport and travel services, eye care centers, and Verizon-related tech services.
This is not what a company in liquidation mode looks like. Businesses that are preparing to shut down don’t invest in new in-store services. Adding eye care or travel document services takes planning, partnerships, and capital. It signals that Staples sees a future for the stores that remain open — but it’s a different kind of store than what Staples looked like 15 years ago.
The shift is away from being a pure office supply retailer and toward being a broader service hub for small businesses and professionals. Whether that pivot works long-term remains to be seen, but it’s a coherent business strategy, not a death spiral.
What This Means If You Work at or Shop at Staples
If you’re an employee, customer, or business owner with a stake in what happens to Staples, here’s what the current situation actually means for you.
If You’re an Employee
If your specific location is closing, that is a real job loss and it should be taken seriously. The company is not eliminating all positions — most Staples employees work at locations that are staying open — but that’s cold comfort if your store is one of the ones being shut down.
If you work at a Staples and are unsure about your location’s status, the most practical step is to ask your manager directly or check for any posted notices about lease renewals or store status. Don’t rely on news headlines alone to determine whether your specific store is closing.
If You’re a Regular Customer
If your local Staples closed, check whether there’s another location within a reasonable distance. The chain still has over 900 U.S. locations, so another store is often not far away. The Staples website also handles printing orders, office supply deliveries, and other services online if a physical store isn’t convenient.
For one-off needs like printing or copying, a closure can be disruptive. It’s worth knowing your alternatives in advance rather than finding out when you need something urgently.
If You’re a Business Owner Using Staples for B2B Purchasing
This is probably the group with the least to worry about right now. Staples’ B2B operation — which handles regular orders, bulk purchasing, and account-based business supply relationships — is reportedly growing. If your company orders supplies through a Staples business account or uses their delivery service, you are unlikely to see disruption from retail store closures.
That said, it’s always smart to have a backup supplier identified. Any single-vendor dependency is a risk, regardless of how stable that vendor appears. Drafted Business covers practical guidance on supply chain decisions and vendor management for small business owners and managers who want to stay ahead of exactly these kinds of shifts.
The Bottom Line
Staples is not going out of business. The company is closing underperforming stores, adjusting its retail model, and shifting more resources toward B2B sales and expanded in-store services. This has been happening gradually since 2014, and the current pace of closures reflects selective trimming rather than a companywide collapse.
The U.S. store count dropped from 929 to 916 over four months — a small reduction, not a freefall. Specific closures, like the ones in Maryland and Maine, are real. But a store closing in one state doesn’t tell you anything definitive about what’s happening in another.
If you’re a customer, check your local options and use the website where a store isn’t available. If you’re an employee at a store facing closure, treat it seriously and start planning. If you’re a business owner using Staples for bulk purchasing, your supply chain is likely stable for now — but it’s always worth having a plan B.
The company is adapting, not disappearing. That’s worth knowing before drawing the wrong conclusions from a closed storefront.
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