SPLS

Staples Inc

A maker of office supplies and technology services, Staples runs one of the world's largest office-product retail chains, selling everything from printer ink and paper to desks and chairs to small businesses and home offices. The company was founded in 1986 after Thomas Stemberg, a former supermarket executive, got frustrated trying to buy a printer ribbon on a holiday weekend and realized offices needed the same big-box convenience as grocery stores. Its name is a pun on both the metal fasteners and the word for everyday essentials — and its "That Was Easy" button, launched as a 2005 marketing gimmick, became such a hit that Staples still sells millions of them as desk toys.