Staples Q1 web and catalog sales rise 13%
Staples Inc., the second-largest U.S. retailer of office supplies, reports North American direct delivery sales rose 13% in the first quarter over the same period last year, to $920 million from $814 million. Direct delivery income rose 23% to $59 million from $48 million.
Staples` direct delivery sales include both web and catalog sales, though the web accounts for a larger share than telephone orders, a spokesman says. Among direct delivery sales to large companies, web sales accounted for 70% of overall direct delivery sales during Q1. For small companies and consumers, web-based orders account for about half of direct delivery sales, Staples says.
Direct delivery sales grew faster than North American store sales, which rose 7% to $1.8 billion from $1.67 billion a year ago. Direct delivery sales account for 51% of all sales, up from 49% a year ago. North American comparable store sales were up 2%. Overall sales, however, rose 15%, to $3.1 billion from $2.7 billion, due to an 87% increase in European sales to $387 million. Staples doesn`t break out store and direct sales for Europe.
Office supply company Corporate Express Inc. reports that in April e-commerce accounted for over 50% of office product sales. Corporate Express re-launched its e-commerce initiative last August. "Achieving this milestone reinforces the value of our ongoing investment in technology," said Mark Hoffman, President and CEO of Corporate Express. "With e-commerce now accounting for over half of our office products sales, we`re more committed than ever to delivering to our customers the industry`s most powerful and easy-to-use online procurement tools."
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