BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Office Depot, Inc. (NASDAQ:ODP) today announced the launch of a number of programs to make it easier for teachers and schools to create classrooms they can be proud of and give their students the best opportunity to succeed this back-to-school season.
According to a 2018 survey by the National Center for Education Statistics, 94 percent of public school teachers spend their own money to stock their classrooms with the necessary supplies and resources. On average, a teacher will spend $479, although 7 percent spent more than $1,000.
“The divide between the haves and have-nots in our schools grows every year. Schools are trying to do more with less, and teachers are spending more of their own money on back-to-school basics – pens, notebooks, art supplies and the like,” said Jerri DeVard, chief customer officer for Office Depot, Inc. “That’s why we want to support teachers and school administrators who work so hard to create an optimal learning environment for our children.”
For the 2019 back-to-school season, Office Depot is supporting teachers, parents, and schools with programs that celebrate the critical roles they play in the lives of students, to help them unleash their potential and start the new school year feeling confident and proud. Office Depot also provides the opportunity for customers to give back. These programs include:
Teacher Savings: Beginning Sunday, July 14 through Saturday, Sept. 28, teachers will receive 20% back in Rewards on qualifying in-store purchases when they present a unique coupon, a valid teacher ID and Office Depot® OfficeMax® Rewards number at checkout. The coupon will be available online at officedepot.com/teachers beginning July 14.
Teacher Celebration Breakfasts: Designed to recognize the hard work and devotion that teachers provide, Office Depot and OfficeMax retail stores will host celebratory breakfasts for teachers in July and August. New teachers who enroll in the Office Depot® OfficeMax® Rewards program on the day of their event and present a valid teacher ID will get $5 in rewards added to their account. For details, teachers are encouraged to contact their local store.
Start Proud!™: For the second year in a row, Office Depot’s Start Proud!™ program will foster brighter beginnings for schools in low-income communities nationwide and give students, parents and teachers the supplies they need to start the year confident, prepared and proud. This year, Office Depot associates, in partnership with Boise Paper and Domtar Paper, will fill 18,000 backpacks with essentials like notebooks, folders, pencils and glue, and distribute them to students at Title I schools during 18 celebratory assemblies at the beginning of the school year. Parents at each of the selected schools will receive a $20 Office Depot gift card to purchase additional supplies for their child throughout the year. In addition, teachers at each of the schools will receive pallets of classroom supplies, donated in part by their neighbors through Office Depot’s in-store school supply drive program. Additionally, one very special teacher will be honored at each Start Proud! assembly with over $1,500 worth of premium supplies to thank them for their extraordinary efforts in the classroom.
School Supply Drive: Now through September 29, customers can give back to their communities by purchasing extra supplies at their local Office Depot or OfficeMax retail location and placing them in the school supply drive donation bin at the front of their neighborhood store. Products will be donated to a local deserving Title I school at the beginning of the upcoming school year (visit a local store for additional details).
Give Back to Schools Program: Parents, students and teachers can feel good about back-to-school shopping at Office Depot by supporting their local schools through the Give Back to Schools Program. To participate, customers make a purchase of qualifying school supplies, provide their school's name or ID at checkout (in store and online) and their designated school will receive 5% back in credits for free supplies. It's a small act that can make a huge difference. Through this program, Office Depot has issued approximately $32 million in credits over the years.
National PTA Partnership: As a Proud National Sponsor of National PTA’s Back-to-School Week, September 16-20, Office Depot will support the association in providing ideas and tools throughout the week to help make this a successful school year for PTA leaders, parents, students and teachers. Each day of the week, tips and resources will be shared at PTA.org/BackToSchool and on social media, culminating with Office Depot and OfficeMax Day on September 20.
For added convenience, customers can take advantage of a variety of shopping, pick-up and delivery options, including shopping online at officedepot.com and via the Office Depot mobile app, utilizing Office Depot’s Buy Online Pickup In Store in one-hour option, or free next business-day delivery on qualifying supply purchases of $45 or more. And, in select markets, same-day delivery is available for a variety of back-to-school shopping needs.
For more details on how Office Depot is helping teachers, parents and students go “Back to School Proud,” visit an Office Depot or OfficeMax retail location near you, download the Office Depot mobile app or visit www.officedepot.com/school.
About Office Depot, Inc.
Office Depot, Inc. (NASDAQ:ODP) is a leading B2B integrated distribution company providing business services and supplies, products and technology solutions through its fully integrated omni-channel platform of approximately 1,350 stores, online presence, and dedicated sales professionals and technicians to small, medium and enterprise businesses. Through its banner brands Office Depot®, OfficeMax®, CompuCom® and Grand&Toy®, the company offers its customers the tools and resources they need to focus on their passion of starting, growing and running their business. For more information, visit news.officedepot.com and follow @officedepot on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Office Depot is a trademark of The Office Club, Inc. OfficeMax is a trademark of OMX, Inc. CompuCom is a trademark of CompuCom Systems, Inc. Grand&Toy is a trademark of Grand & Toy, LLC in Canada. ©2019 Office Depot, Inc. All rights reserved. Any other product or company names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.
