DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Dec 11, 2001 -- Viking Office Products, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Office Depot, Inc. (NYSE:ODP), the world`s largest seller of office products, today announced that it will launch a direct mail business under the Viking Direct name in Spain in early 2002 targeted to the small to medium-sized business customer.
The Company is currently hiring local managers and employees to help build its business and service new logistics and call centers planned for early/mid 2002. The first new logistics center will be housed in a state-of-the-art warehouse centrally located outside of Madrid. In order to provide Viking`s high level of customer service and ensure next-day delivery to all business customers throughout Spain, the Company will also open a call center facility in the Northwest region of Spain. The Company will employ both native Espanol and Catalun speaking employees to ensure that customers are spoken to in their native tongue when ordering from Viking Direct.
Viking Direct maintains one of the highest customer service and retention levels of any European office supplies company and is widely acclaimed for its dedication to the concept of "fanatical customer service" - impress a customer so much that they want to buy again and again.
In addition to its fanatical customer service, Viking Direct attributes much of its success with its target small and medium-sized business customers, to its highly targeted assortment of office supplies. After months of market research in Spain, the Company is ready to offer a broad range of merchandise to meet the specific growing needs and preferences of the Spanish small to medium-sized business customer.
Rolf van Kaldekerken, President of European Business Operations, commented, "Our goal is to bring Viking`s fanatical customer service to Spain and become one of the leading providers of office products and services in the country. Our practice of fanatical customer service enables us to develop lasting relationships with customers and become their trusted resource for office supplies. In addition, our strong presence throughout Europe and leading market share in each country in which we operate allows us to buy products better and pass on those savings to our customers."
Bruce Nelson, Chief Executive Officer, added, "We are very excited to enter the Spanish market. We see enormous opportunity to continue to increase our international presence in the growing European office supplies market."
In conjunction with Viking`s highly acclaimed direct mail program, the Company is also planning to launch a new Internet site in Spain under the url: http://www.vikingdirect.sp by year-end in 2002. The site will incorporate many innovative and popular features already in Viking`s other international sites, including Quick Order by Stock Number, which enables customers to enter catalog orders online; and Supplies QuickFind, which helps customers identify the correct supplies for their business machines. The site will offer customers a look at its real-time inventory, keeping track of what is actually available and in stock. With http://www.vikingdirect.sp, Spanish customers have an easy-to-use e-commerce site to make their everyday and major office supply purchases.
The new Internet site will also take advantage of the Company`s new Spanish infrastructure including merchandising, warehousing and distribution; which will allow it to offer customers the highest level of customer service right from the start. This will be Viking`s twelfth international Web site to be opened since 1998.
About Viking Office Products
Viking Office Products, Inc. was established in January 1960 as a U.S. company selling office products to small and medium-sized businesses through direct marketing catalogs. Outside the United States Viking has operations in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, France, The Netherlands, Germany, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy and Japan. On August 26, 1998, Viking merged with Office Depot, Inc.
Viking provides customers with fanatical customer service, convenience and speed of delivery. The Company has gained market share throughout the U.S., as well as in Europe, Australia and Japan, by aggressively marketing basic, consumable office supplies plus computer supplies, custom printed stationery, office machines, paper of all types, and office furniture. The Company has pioneered new database marketing technology, producing unique and effective catalog personalization that gets results.
About Office Depot in Europe
The Company`s wholly-owned European operations are in nine countries, including: the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy and its tenth country, Switzerland will launch in January 2002. The Company primarily operates under the Viking Direct name, a highly successful direct mail business, and most recently, an established e-commerce operation. Worldwide e-commerce sales in 2000 reached $982 million. The Company anticipates worldwide e-commerce sales to reach $1.5 billion by the end of 2001.
In addition to its multiple public Web sites and direct mail operations throughout Europe, the Company has contract business operations through its European Business Services Division in four countries: the United Kingdom, Ireland, The Netherlands and France. The division targets medium to large-sized corporate accounts through a specialized sales force, individualized pricing for key corporate accounts and overnight order fulfillment in each country. The Company also offers its contract customers unique Office Depot(R) brand Web sites that are specifically designed to meet the special needs and requirements of each contract customer. The Company`s strategy is to offer these specialized sites in each contract country over the next eighteen months. Currently, the Company offers a site in the United Kingdom at http://bsdnet.officedepot.co.uk, which provides contract customers access to its customized offers and product selection twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
About Office Depot
No one sells more office products to more customers in more countries than Office Depot. As of September 29, 2001, Office Depot operated 846 office supply superstores in the United States and Canada, in addition to a national business-to-business delivery network supported by 25 delivery centers, more than 60 local sales offices and eight regional call centers. Furthermore, the Company had operations in 15 countries outside of the United States and Canada, including 28 office supply stores in France and seven in Japan that are owned and operated by the Company; and 101 additional office supply stores under joint venture and licensing agreements operating under the Office Depot(R) name in five foreign countries.
The Company also operates an award-winning U.S. Office Depot(R) brand Web site at http://www.officedepot.com where customers can access Office Depot`s low competitive prices seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. The Company also operates thirteen other Web sites, under the Office Depot(R) and Viking Office Products(R) names, in the U.S. and eight international countries including: Austria, Australia, France, Japan, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Office Depot`s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP and is included in the S&P 500 Index. Office Depot is an Official Sponsor of the U.S. 2002 and 2004 Olympic Team.
CONTACT:
Office Depot, Inc., Delray Beach
Eileen H. Dunn, Investor Relations/Public Relations
561/438-4930
edunn@officedepot.com
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