‘Staples Connect’ concept opening
Products and services are designed for home offices, entrepreneurs and small businesses
Office supply giant Staples will unveil a Staples Connect store in Los Angeles next month, featuring everything from expanded technology to an airline mockup that allows customers to see if their purchases will fit under their seat or in an overhead compartment on their next flight.
Many of the products and services in the company’s new specialty store are designed to serve work-from-home employees, entrepreneurs and small businesses operating in a COVID-19 world of remote work.
Staples plans to roll out more Staples Connect stores in the coming years, including retrofits to existing stores and brand new locations. The company wouldn’t reveal how many it plans to open or where additional Southern California locations might be.
Work from home persists
The retailer’s new vision is timely, as UpWork predicts that 40.7 million Americans, or nearly 28% of the U.S workforce, will be working remotely in the next five years.
The 14,000-square-foot L.A. store, at 5665 W. Wilshire Blvd., is set to open Nov. 6 with a soft opening to be held two days earlier.
Staples Connect will occupy a site that once housed several nightclubs, including the historic Wilshire Bowl, before being demolished to make way for a Van de Kamp’s coffee shop and another office supply business.
“This store represents the forefront of how people are working and learning today,” said Marshall Warkentin, Staples Connect’s chief marketing and merchandising officer. “The pandemic has changed the emphasis to remote working.”
The retail chain brought in 40 additional vendors for the new store concept, including Sonos, which makes a variety of highend speakers and audio products, and Apple, among others.
“Since many people plan to work in a remote or hybrid environment moving forward, Staples Connect sought out the latest products to keep our customers productive, connected and engaged, no matter their location,” Warkentin said.
The store features a variety of “work-from-anywhere” products, including mobile workstations, portable glass board notepads that allow for sharing notes or sketches in real-time, and Targus portable ergonomic keyboards that can fit in a pocket or purse.
The L.A. store also will offer TSA pre-check, as well as uBreakiFix same-day repair service for customers who need a quick fix on their cellphone, tablet, computer or game console.
And that airline mock-up? “People have an appetite to start traveling again,” Warkentin said.
The company has already opened seven Staples Connect stores in the greater Boston area. The L.A. store and another that opens the same day in Auburn, Maine, will bump the total to nine.
The Boston-area stores also feature a shared workspace and a recording studio for podcasters. But those options won’t be available at the L.A. location as there isn’t enough room, Warkentin said.
More stores are coming
Mike Motz, CEO of Staples U.S. retail operations, said customers are eager to check out the new products and services when a Staples Connect opens.
“We’ve had customers line up at 6 a.m. for an 8 a.m. opening,” Motz said in a YouTube posting.
Nearly 60% of the U.S. companies Staples surveyed in May 2021 reported they had already announced more flexible working options for their employees. And the number of newly registered small businesses grew 24% between 2019 to 2020 due to the onset of the pandemic, the U.S. Census Bureau reported.
Warkentin said Staples Connect has virtually everything work-from-home employees and small businesses need to function in today’s business climate.
“We’ve tripled our hardware technology offerings with more laptops and more wireless, from headphones to speakers with brands that are much more modern,” he said. “And we have stylish furniture options from desks chairs to lighting, so you don’t have to schlep to IKEA anymore.”