If your local Staples just closed, or you spotted a headline about store shutdowns, it’s easy to assume the whole company is collapsing. That reaction makes sense. But it’s not what’s actually happening.
This article covers what’s really going on: whether Staples is shutting down entirely, why specific stores are closing, what the company’s financial picture looks like, what new services it’s testing, and what to do if your nearest location disappears.
Staples Is Not Going Out of Business But It Is Getting Smaller
Let’s answer the main question directly: Staples has not filed for bankruptcy and has no announced plan to close all its locations.
What is happening is that Staples is closing stores that aren’t performing well. That’s a very different thing from a company shutting down entirely.
As of early 2026, Staples still operates hundreds of U.S. locations alongside an active website and a significant business-to-business (B2B) operation. According to data tracked by ScrapeHero, the U.S. store count dropped from 929 to 916 between October 2025 and early 2026 a net reduction of 13 stores over roughly four months.
That’s a contraction. It’s not a collapse.
Which Staples Stores Have Closed and Where
Some specific closures have made local news in 2025 and 2026. Here are a few confirmed examples:
- Frederick, Maryland closed March 6, 2026
- Waterville, Maine closed April 10, 2026
- Newington, Norwich, and Norwalk, Connecticut closed in recent months
- Rochester, Minnesota employees were notified April 14, store closed April 24
- The last Minnesota location overall
What’s worth noting is the pattern here. When the Waterville, Maine store closed, the Augusta and Bangor locations in the same state stayed open. That’s selective pruning removing weaker stores not a full exit from a region.
These closures tend to surface first on local Facebook groups or in small-town news, which is exactly why the “Staples is going out of business” rumor spreads so fast. When your town loses its only Staples, it feels like the company is disappearing but it’s usually just one location being cut.
Auction companies like Grafe Auction have posted notices about clearing out store fixtures at closed locations in places like Howell, NJ and Quakertown, PA. These auctions are part of winding down individual stores, not signs of a company-wide liquidation.
Why Staples Is Closing Stores
The reasons come down to a mix of long-term industry shifts and basic cost management.
Office supply demand has dropped
People buy a lot less paper, printer ink, and physical office supplies than they did 15 years ago. More work is digital. Remote work also changed shopping habits fewer office workers making supply runs during the week.
Amazon changed everything
Staples started losing foot traffic to e-commerce around 2014, and that pressure never reversed. When you can order a ream of paper or a laptop stand from Amazon with next-day delivery, the reason to drive to a big-box store shrinks.
Too many locations for current demand
Retailers sometimes carry more physical stores than the business actually needs. Closing underperforming locations cuts rent, utilities, and staffing costs which can actually stabilize the company’s finances rather than signal decline.
Private equity ownership
Staples is owned by Sycamore Partners and has been a private company for years. Private equity firms often push aggressive cost-cutting and store rationalization. This ownership structure makes closures more likely, but it doesn’t automatically mean the company is heading toward failure.
It’s also worth saying: this isn’t just a Staples problem. Office Depot and OfficeMax went through the same kind of contraction. The entire office supply retail sector has been shrinking for over a decade. Staples is dealing with industry-wide forces, not just its own mismanagement.
Staples’ Financial Situation and Bankruptcy Risk
There is no confirmed bankruptcy filing for Staples as of mid-2026. That needs to be stated clearly, because some people have misread risk assessments as actual filings.
Some financial data sites do classify Staples as carrying a “moderate bankruptcy risk.” Here’s what that actually means: the company is operating under real pressure in a shrinking category. It’s not safe, but it’s not doomed either. A risk rating is a probability assessment it’s not confirmation that anything has happened.
Because Staples is private, it doesn’t publish the same level of financial detail as a publicly traded company. That makes it harder to assess exact debt levels or profit margins, so any specific numbers you see circulating online should be treated with caution.
What’s clear is that the company is under financial pressure. What’s not clear is whether that pressure leads to a major restructuring or bankruptcy and anyone claiming certainty either way isn’t being straight with you.
What Staples Is Trying Instead
Rather than just closing stores and calling it done, Staples has been testing new services to give people reasons to walk through the door. A few examples from 2025:
- Stanton Optical centers full eye care services operating inside select Staples locations
- Passport and travel services including passport photos and TSA PreCheck enrollment
- Verizon tech partnership pilots tech help and device services at select stores
The idea is to turn Staples into more of a multi-service hub rather than just a place to buy notebooks. Whether these experiments succeed long-term is still an open question they’re too new to judge definitively. But they do show the company is actively trying to adapt rather than just waiting to shut down.
The B2B side of the business also remains a major pillar. Corporate accounts, bulk orders, breakroom supplies, and custom printing bring in revenue that has nothing to do with walk-in retail traffic.
What Happens to You When a Local Store Closes
This is one of the most practical concerns people have. Here’s what you should know:
When an individual Staples location closes, the company as a whole keeps running. That means online ordering continues, remaining stores stay open, and business accounts remain active. A store closure doesn’t cancel your Staples rewards account, and gift cards remain usable online or at other locations.
The inconveniences are real, though. You’ll have to ship returns instead of walking them in. Same-day printing or in-person tech help may require a longer drive. If there’s no nearby store left, you may need to switch to alternatives entirely.
For practical alternatives, local print shops, warehouse clubs like Costco or Sam’s Club, and online retailers can cover most of what people used to buy at Staples. For businesses on contracts, those agreements generally continue unless the company itself undergoes a major restructuring.
How to Tell If Your Staples Is Closing
You don’t have to wait for national news to find out. Here are the most reliable ways to check:
- Visit the Staples store locator on their website and search your location. If it’s been removed or shows limited hours, that’s a signal.
- Watch for in-store signage. “Store closing sale” signs and deep discounts on everything, including fixtures, are strong indicators.
- Check local Facebook groups and community pages. Employees and regulars often post closing dates before local media picks it up.
- Look for notices from liquidation or auction companies like Grafe Auction, which post publicly when they’re hired to clear out a store.
Keep in mind that one store closing doesn’t mean others nearby will follow. Check each location individually.
What This All Means for the Bigger Picture
The office supply retail sector has been contracting for years. Staples, Office Depot, and OfficeMax have all reduced their physical footprints significantly. This reflects a real, permanent shift in how people and businesses buy supplies not just one company making bad decisions.
For more practical business coverage on topics like this, Tower of Business covers the kind of changes that affect small businesses and everyday decision-making.
Staples is clearly in contraction and repositioning mode, not growth mode. The company is dealing with real pressure shrinking demand, heavy online competition, and a private equity ownership model that favors cutting costs. But none of that is the same as going out of business tomorrow.
The honest answer is this: Staples still operates, still sells online, and still serves business accounts. It’s also closing stores, losing relevance in physical retail, and facing uncertainty about its long-term shape. Both things are true at the same time.
If your local store is closing, that’s genuinely inconvenient but it doesn’t mean every Staples is about to disappear. Watch for updates, plan your alternatives, and don’t mistake a store closure for a company-wide shutdown.
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