Staples.com -- The office supply online store that has everything
Written: Jul 13 '05 (Updated Jul 13 '05)
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| Full Review |
Recently, I have begun using the Staples Online Store for a lot of purchases. The reasons being that not only are they easy to deal with, but they have had every product that I have searched for. The online version of the store is basically just a gateway with which you can purchase in store products, and that makes it easier to find what you are looking for, while insuring that it will be in stock. The site works, by linking up to stores that are closest to your zip code. When you enter it, that store is queried by the site, and you are then able to see if the product you wish to acquire is in stock or not. This is a very helpful asset, because then you know exactly when to expect your purchases to be shipped out. Ordering from the office or from home just got a lot easier, because sites like this don't place a minimum on what you order, but offer discounts if the quantity does get large.
The Site Itself
Staples.com is a very simple, yet very informative shopping gateway. When you go to the main page, you are immediately given all the choices that you can search by. At the top of the page, they have several menu tabs that will direct you to the home page, Office Supplies, Furniture, Technology, Custom Printing, and Business Services. Depending on what you are using the site for on that particular visit, you choose which drop-down best applies to you. For me, it is normally just the main page, because it gives me the search engine that I enjoy using so much. Below that, are links to specific places on the site that will allow you to browse items like Art Supplies, Calendars, Paper, Ink, and many other options. If you know what you are looking for but aren't sure which brand you want, these portals are really great options for you. Along the right side of that page, you are able to see your accounts status, history, and current "cart". When you place something in your "cart" to be purchased, it also shows up as a list on that side of the page. It is really clean-cut, easy to maneuver, and the simplicity of it makes it quite stress-free to use.
Search Engine
As I stated before, on the main page is a Search Engine that allows you to search for basically anything on the site. If you are looking for products by a company, just type in the companies name and you will get a cross-listed page with all of the items a particular company sells through Staples. That can be pretty large for a company such as Epson, so you may want to get more specific in your search. For me, I usually know what product, or type of product I want, so I can just enter in "C86 Ink Cartridges" or "Epson Photo Paper", and it will go to my specific query. Anytime you come upon one of the entries you are searching for, it will show you how much that they charge for that particular product, and whether or not there are specials or coupons being offered at that time. The engine itself is one of the better ones I have seen, and it links the entire site together in a way that makes it very easy on consumers.
Costs
As compared to other online stores that offer roughly the same products, I have found Staples to be right around the same costs. There are a few products I have seen at a few cents more on this site, but at the same time I have seen some products that were a few cents less. I think it all depends on their pricing scheme, but on the whole I have found their prices to be quite acceptable for every purchase I have made. For items that you may want to order in bulk, they normally offer a discount based on that quantity. For example, if you were to order 3 or more of a specific type of ink cartridge, the site would drop down the price per cartridge that you were paying. It is both a trick to get us to by more, at the same time showing us that there are ways to save some extra cash on the site. The site also likes the customers that spend more money, and offers free shipping to any purchase that exceeds $50.00 at a time. This is helpful to me, because I hate having to see a large figure under shipping/handling when I am shopping online, and being able to save that money just about makes my day.
Shipping Thoughts / Final Recommendation
One of the great things about the site, is just how easy it is to make the purchases online. But, as we know that is not necessarily the most important aspect of E-Commerce. Sometimes a company can ace the first part, but fail on the aspect of getting the customer what they wanted in a timely fashion. Well, I am here to say, that Staples.com has gone far above my expectations on both counts. When you are ordering a product, it actually tells you how long it will be expected to take in shipping time. This makes it easy to determine exactly when the product will be there, and thus makes it easier to fit into your personal schedule. I have always received exactly what I ordered, and it has always come at or before it was expected to get to me. This is just another bonus on what has turned out to be a great business that we use online. Couple the shipping benefits, with the discounts and rebates that they offer, along with the fact that they have always had the products I was looking for, and you have a great web-site on your hand for anything. I highly recommend that you use this site to order these types of products, whether you are doing it for your home office, or for your job.
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? I use the site to purchase anything from paper and Ink to Printers
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