Staples.com: Great for Business Purchases, Good for Personal Use
Written: Jul 06 '05
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Shoppers looking for printer paper, folders, pens, envelopes, and other office supplies do not need to look very far on the world wide web to find an on- line retailer. Stores like this are plentiful, and office supplies are so commonplace that one can often find them for sale in general retail sites as well as sites whose primary business is office supplies. I visit sites like these for both business and personal shopping. And one site that is very popular for making this type of purchase is Staples.com, a web resource for buying goods and services for the home or business office.
What Does This Service Offer?:
Staples.com can be used for making the following purchases:
Office Supplies- This is the primary merchandise sold in this site. Like Staples’ retail store, you can purchase all sorts of office products through this on- line resource.
Furniture- File cabinets, desks, lamps, tables, shelving unit, etc., can be purchased through this part of the site.
Technology- Here, you can purchase electronic devices like calculators, printers, digital cameras, monitors, scanners, and other like products.
Custom Printing- In this part of the site, you can purchase customized letter forms, envelopes, business cards, and other products tailor- made to your specifications.
Business Services- Staples also offers services like making signs, banners, gift baskets, and other specific products. It even has e-mail marketing packages to purchase, accounts receivable management, and other services.
Payment Methods/Shipping Charges:
Staples accepts several different credit cards for payment, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and Staples own credit card. They do not accept any other means of payment.
Customer Service:
Customer service can be reached either through the web site itself or by phone. If you use the web site, you will need to click the “Help” link and then select the appropriate category where you need assistance. If you would rather speak to a person, you can call 800-3staple (800-378-2753).
Final Thoughts:
Staples is one of America’s best- known retailers of office supplies and services. This company was founded in 1985 in the Boston, Massachusetts area and it expanded to the world wide web in 1998.
Staples.com is a site I have used frequently, both as an individual consumer and as a representative for a business. The main reason I started to visit this site was to look for deals on paper supplies and other office products. I’m always looking for a bargain and an excuse to stay at home and shop. And since Staples is a store I frequently visit, the on- line site seemed like a good place to visit.
A few years after using this site for personal reasons, I got to acquaint myself with Staples.com from a business perspective. The site still worked the same way, but this time I was conducting business using a business account and Staples credit card. I found that the business side of the equation was a little bit different from the personal. As a business, I was able to get greater discounts on orders, faster delivery without added charges, and other special deals if I used the Staples credit card to complete the purchase. As an individual, I still had good experiences with Staples.com and I was satisfied with the speed of delivery and the customer service. But dealing with them as a business was a notch better.
Judging Staples.com as a web site, I can only give it average marks. When you select a category, Staples.com presents you with a simple list of subcategories under the main category. As you click deeper, you will make your way to the individual products for sale. There is nothing very pleasing to the eye with this setup. All you get is a listing of what is available. Only when you make your way to the listing of actual brand names will you have an option to show images (you must click the icon, above the list). This could be considered an advantage by some who don’t like having to wait for images to load, but I would rather see the photos as I click through each set of categories and subcategories. With some of the categories, like furniture, you get a little more visual enhancement. But it still isn’t much when compared to other sites. The site is easy to navigate, but it doesn’t provide much that is visually appealing.
Shopping at Staples.com requires that you set up an account. This is simple, and it requires entering your billing and shipping information, followed by establishing a logon password. You can browse the site and add things to your cart, but you cannot complete the ordering process until you have established an on- line account.
Shipping at Staples.com is free if your order exceeds $50. If the order is less than $50, you will have to pay a flat fee of $7.95. I recommend waiting until you need to place an order valued at $50 or more before you shop here. The fee might not sound like much, but on a small order, it will add a substantial percentage to your cost. Oh, and keep in mind that sales tax will be added to most orders. Staples.com has an agreement with the different U.S. states to collect sales taxes where applicable.
Staples.com has an average selection of goods that should be enough to satisfy most customer needs. But the selection is not as good as in the physical store locations. If you need some basics (printer paper, business #10 envelopes, some post- it notes, and so on), then you will have no problem finding what you need in the on- line store. But if your needs are more specific, you might have some trouble on- line. It’s a hit and miss game, as I have been able to find some of these more unique items on- line but not others. Often, I am forced to visit an actual store or look for a substitute product through the web site.
Even though the actual stores offer a wider selection of goods, I still like Staples.com for on- line office supply purchasing. The visual appeal of the site and the organization could use a few enhancements but I still think this is a good web service for office supplies and business services. The prices are competitive and the shipping (provided you buy at least $50) is free, making this a good choice for shopping that can easily equal or beat the prices at physical location stores.
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Paper products
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