Amazon might seem as though it is a culprit in the steady decline of office supply stores, but that’s not entirely the case.

Staples and its rivals Office Depot and Office Max, which are both under the parent company ODP Corporation, took a hit over time because consumer habits and needs changed.

The e-commerce shift saw shoppers move over to Amazon and Walmart online for office supplies, while less demand saw remote and hybrid work sharply reduce office supply needs. There’s also a foot traffic drop, where in-store visits and small-business purchasing both declined. Not to mention the financial strain, where falling sales led to restructuring and a planned acquisition by Atlas Holdings, among other reasonings, per TheStreet.

This all led to the ODP brands continuing to shrink their retail operations, which is likely to continue after the company’s sale to Atlas Holdings closes.

“ODP Corporation being taken private with the Atlas Holdings deal signals a renewed focus on operational efficiency and a leaner cost structure for the office supplies company,” Total Retail reported.

There’s also other benefits.

“Going private may enable ODP to make long-term investments in the business by freeing it from being so quarterly-earnings focused. These investments, whether in product, supply chain, marketing, real estate, etc., could help strengthen the business going forward,” Total Retail’s Joe Keenan added.

As it turns out, Office Depot has closed over 1,000 stores since its 2023 merger, reducing its store count by about 55%.

The latest corporate change should build on the original merger of OfficeMax and Office Depot.

“The announced deal to merge OfficeMax and Office Depot would, presumably, help the combined company cut costs by eliminating duplicative positions and doing away with underperforming locations while giving it increased purchasing power and marketing clout,” RetailWire’s George Anderson wrote.

According to theodpcorp.com, in Q2 2025, the company reported closing 60 retail stores (Office Depot + Office Max) over the prior 12-month period.

In 2024, it continued to close stores quietly, as there were reported closures in various locations that includes Placerville, CA; Nampa, ID; San Antonio, TX, per News Observer.

As of 2024, the company operated roughly 922 retail stores across both brands.

As of 2025, after closures over 12 months, the store count was around 830 locations, according to CT Insider.

As a result, the overall market is shrinking.

“The office supply store industry has faced choppy waters recently, battling shrinking profit and declining demand due to digitalization and intense competition. In 2025, the industry’s revenue will stand at $20.9 billion, reflecting a drop of 1.8% from the previous year. This decline aligns with the industry’s overall five-year CAGR of -4.0%,” IBISWorld reported.