OXO Good Grips Goes to the Office

New Office Product Line Available Exclusively at Staples
FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(Business Wire)--
Staples, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLS), the world`s leading office products company, and
OXO, a leader in the world of Universal Design, today announced the launch of a
line of co-branded and co-designed office supplies that includes more than 20
products developed to make everyday work tasks easier, more efficient and more
pleasant.

From staplers and hole punches to scissors and push pin dispensers, the new line
of OXO Good Grips office products will be available beginning in May 2009
exclusively at Staples stores nationwide and at www.staples.com/oxo. OXO Good
Grips for the office is the result of more than two years of collaboration
between Staples and OXO, involving thorough research and development from both
user observation and manufacturing technology. The result is the new
high-quality line of office products that leverages Staples` expertise as the
leader in office supplies and OXO`s reputation for creating consumer household
products that make everyday tasks easier. Additional products in the line will
be available in July 2009.

"Having the right tools for any job makes it much easier," said Donna Smallin,
organizing expert and author. "I`ve always been a big fan of OXO Good Grips and
I love the new line of office supplies. It actually feels good to pick up one of
these products and put it to work - so good you don`t want to put it down! You
might think, `It`s just a stapler or a staple remover` but these everyday tools
are designed with comfort and efficiency in mind and believe me, you`ll
appreciate that. Plus they`re fun and who couldn`t use a little more fun in
their workday?"

The new line of products represents a complete re-thinking of some of the most
common office tools from the ground up and combines OXO`s Universal Design
execution with Staples` expertise as a leading office products retailer. The
line of easy-to-use products includes: staplers and hole punches with double
pivot motion to glide through multiple sheets of paper with less hand strain; a
push pin dispenser with a magnetic telescoping wand to prevent unnecessary
pokes; pens with a retractable clip to prevent ink spot accidents; and much
more. For a full list of products included in the OXO Good Grips line available
exclusively at Staples, visit http://www.staples.com/oxo.

"Staples has long admired OXO Good Grips, and through research, our customers
have told us they too admire and trust the brand," said Mike Nelson, vice
president of Staples Brands. "The opportunity to collaborate with OXO to bring a
trusted household brand into the office has resulted in a new line of products
that help make everyday office tasks easier for our customers at Staples."

Customers will not only benefit from the look and feel of these new products,
but will be able to get daily tasks completed more efficiently. This unique, new
line of products that resulted from the collaboration of Staples and OXO has
generated more than 10 utility and design patents pending.

"OXO has enjoyed collaborating with Staples to leverage their experience in the
office products industry and our experience in Universal Design to develop a
high-quality assortment of easy-to-use products," said Alex Lee, OXO President.
"We hope customers who know and trust the OXO brand in the home will find these
products appealing, and those in the office will see how the line offers
solutions to common frustrations with what is currently available."

About Staples

Staples, the world`s largest office products company, is committed to making it
easy for customers to buy a wide range of office products, including supplies,
technology, furniture, and business services. With 2008 sales of $23 billion and
91,000 associates worldwide, Staples serves businesses of all sizes and
consumers in 27 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia and
Australia. In July 2008, Staples acquired Corporate Express, one of the world`s
leading suppliers of office products to businesses and institutions. Staples
invented the office superstore concept in 1986 and is headquartered outside
Boston. More information about Staples (Nasdaq: SPLS) is available at
www.staples.com.

About OXO

Founded in 1990 on the concept of Universal Design, OXO's mission is to create
consumer household products that ease the tasks of everyday life for the widest
range of users possible. Since the original 15 items were introduced, the OXO
collection has grown to more than 800 strong covering areas for cooking,
cleaning, gardening, storing, organizing and lighting. Today OXO Good Grips
products are sold in 50 countries and are included in the permanent collections
of numerous museums. The company has won more than 100 design and business
awards worldwide. OXO is very frequently used as a case study on how a
well-executed Universal Design philosophy can be a successful business strategy.
OXO is owned by Helen of Troy Limited, a leading designer, producer and global
marketer of brand-name personal care and household consumer products.

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Staples, Inc.
Mark Crowley, 508-253-0767
mark.crowley@staples.com
or
OXO
Gretchen Holt, 212-242-3333
gholt@oxo.com
or
Taylor for Staples
Christine Gonsior, 212-714-5718
cgonsior@taylorpr.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009