In its strategy to evolve into what the company calls a working and learning store, Staples has launched a product assortment through its U.S. Retail division that focused on satellite and self-employed toilers.
The assortment, under the Staples Connect initiative, comes with support guidance and advice including video panels designed to help home workers build and develop their task spaces effectively. Products fall under several designations. Solutions for Work from Anywhere products include mobile workstations and Solutions for Home Office Spaces include a console gaming standing desk as a base for meetings and missions, as Staples characterized it, while Solutions to Help Small Businesses and Side Hustlers Grow includes the SumUp Plus Credit Card Reader.
At a time when office supercenters are repositioning in response to a changing marketplace, Staples Connect has a dedicated website that includes links to a store locator and staples.com, where the company continues to offer a range of housewares, food, cleaning and related products in addition to electronics and office furniture at a time when its customer base is shifting, at least in part, to domestic settings it can serve in new ways.
Staples pointed out that almost 60% of companies across the United States that it surveyed in May reported they had already announced more flexible working options for their employees. The U.S. Census Bureau has reported that the number of newly registered small businesses grew by 24% from 2019 to 2020 due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the largest increase on record. With the vast majority operated as home or mobile-based operations, Staples asserted, new small businesses are seeking fresh, creative ways to evolve with the hybrid future of work.
“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,” said Marshall Warkentin, chief marketing and merchandising officer, Staples US Retail. “In a survey, our customers shared that modern technology and office essentials, like comfortable, dynamic chairs and mobile workstations topped the ‘must-have’ list for increasing the productivity of remote work. Other products were added to our assortment with the intention of helping small businesses thrive from any location, often in new, unexpected ways.”
