d the market in Colombia and Israel in 1993. By 1997, Office Depot had opened locations in Poland, France, Hungary, Japan and Thailand. The company ended 1999 with 825 stores in the U.S. and Canada alone. This expansion is one of the strategies used by Office Depot to lend to its successful growth and plans to continue its expansion in the future. Business StrategiesIn the highly competitive market of office supplies, Office Depot has proved itself to be at the top of its game, holding a strong second place over their biggest competitor, Staples. Competitors, such as Staples, have shown only a 6% increase in sales over the past year while, Office Depot reported sales of $10.3 billion, a 14% increase over the $9.0 billion reported for 1999. They have reached this level of sales and success by achieving major goals and objectives set by the company. Office Depot has developed excellent standards for customer service, successful advertising campaigns and expanded into global markets. Each of these accomplishments have aided Office Depot in gaining a strong foothold in the office supply market and brought them one step closer to becoming number one. In spite of Office Depot's growth and success, its greatest challenge may be yet to come. In order to surpass Staples and become number one in the industry, Office Depot must carefully and successfully plan and execute two key strategic plans. The first is a continued level of excellent customer service and increased convenience for their customers. Office Depot needs to maintain a knowledgeable and helpful staff, comprised of quality people that can provide an atmosphere in the stores that makes customers feel welcome. A welcome atmosphere with a knowledgeable staff is necessary in order to continue to build a larger customer base for the company. In a world of technology, customers are constantly looking for ways to receive their merchandise quicker. To maintain its cur...
