The Business Depot Ltd. was founded by Jack Bingleman in 1991, with Staples as a substantial investor, opening Business Depot stores in Canada.[6] The American counterpart acquired the Canadian company in 1994.[7] The company later began converting locations in English-speaking markets to Staples.[8] In 2008, Staples acquired Corporate Express.[9] In 2017, Staples was acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners for $6.9 billion. Under the new owner, Staples Inc. was split into three "independently managed and capitalized" entities; Staples Canada serves as one of these entities, alongside Staples North American Delivery and Staples U.S. Retail.[5][10][11]
ServiceOntario
In 2024, some ServiceOntario locations will be closed and replaced with kiosks inside Staples Canada.[12] These stores will be compensated with taxpayer money for upgrades required to provide these services, at an estimated cost of 1.75 million dollars.[13] The Ontario New Democratic Party has criticized the Ford government for this decision.[14] A request was made to the Financial Accountability Office by the Liberal Party in regards to the deal.[15] These kiosks are a pilot project intended to reduce wait times and increase availability of services, with further partnerships with other businesses being investigated.[16] Two Walmart stores will also replace standalone ServiceOntario locations.[17] Ford has compared the situation to how some Canada Post offices operate inside Shopper's Drug Mart locations.[13]
