Office Depot opens web sites for contract customers in France and Ireland

Office Depot Inc. has launched web sites for contract customers in Ireland and France. They are the company`s third and fourth international contract web sites. It launched its first site in the United Kingdom in 2001, followed by a second contract web site in the Netherlands in March of 2002. The company also operates 20 open web sites in a variety of countries.

Office Depot began operations in Ireland in 1994 under the Viking brand name and sells at http://www.vikingdirect.ie. It has been selling via direct mail in France for 10 years and operates a retail chain and web site at http://www.officedepot.fr. In March 2001, Office Depot expanded its European Business Services Division into Ireland with a specialized sales force, individualized pricing for key corporate accounts and overnight fulfillment throughout the country. The new contract web site offers a private site tailored for medium-to-large sized customers. It began offering similar services to French customers on October 2001.

Office Depot sells through its European Business Services Division in the United Kingdom, Ireland, The Netherlands, France and Italy. Office Depot expects worldwide e-commerce sales to reach $2 billion this year.