Office Depot, Office Max reported to be in merger talks

Larry Thomas -- Furniture Today, February 19, 2013

HIGH POINT — Office superstore chains Office Depot and OfficeMax are in "advanced talks to merge," according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

Quoting sources familiar with the negotiations, the report said a merger announcement could come as early as this week.

If the deal occurs, it would combine two chains whose product offerings include a substantial amount of furniture, much of it ready-to-assemble.

Furniture/Today ranked Office Depot 23rd among all U.S. furniture and bedding retailers with an estimated $606 million in furniture sales in 2011, the latest year for which data is available. OfficeMax didn't make the Top 25 list that year, but has been on it in the past.

The largest office superstore chain, Staples, was No. 15 with estimated 2011 furniture sales of $848 million.