Office Depot Offers Tips for Small Businesses to Prepare for Hurricane Season

Simple and Affordable Steps Can Help to Weather the Storm
BOCA RATON, Fla.--(Business Wire)--
Office Depot (NYSE:ODP), a leading global provider of office products and
services, is urging small businesses to take the simple and affordable steps
necessary to get prepared for the 2009 hurricane season. The National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecast nine to 14 named storms this
season, with four to seven developing into hurricanes.

With challenges facing our global economy, there is a strong likelihood that
business owners might forgo taking the precautions to prepare before a storm
hits. But this year, it is more important than ever to ensure that businesses
can bring operations up-to-speed as quickly as possible after a storm. Not only
is valuable data and property at risk, but also financial stability for
employees who might not have the ability to endure a lapse in pay due to a
storm.

"Heed the advance storm warnings and get your most important assets - your
people and your data - out of harm`s way," said Jon Toigo, Office Depot Disaster
Preparedness Advisor, IT Veteran and author of five books on business continuity
and disaster recovery. "Don`t wait for a disaster to get prepared. There are
simple and affordable steps you can take to protect your business now."

According to a May 2009 poll released by The National Hurricane Initiative, a
program developed through a partnership with The National Hurricane Center1,
more than 60 percent of coastal residents do not feel vulnerable to damage from
a hurricane or other storm, and more than half of the residents do not have a
disaster plan.

Before a storm, Office Depot advises small businesses to take the following
steps:

Protect Your People

* Build solid contact lists. Include names and phone numbers of employees,
vendors, and emergency agencies. Have contact lists stored both inside and
outside the office and perhaps kept in the possession of two or more trusted
managers or staff members.
* Establish emergency communications procedures.
* Organize supplies. Ensure you have sufficient water, food, and janitorial
products, and that your company has access to cash, generators, and batteries.
Also consider the Energizer Energi To Go Instant Cell Phone Charger.
* Provide employee assistance. Train at least one staff member in CPR and first
aid and, if possible, prepare family disaster kits and alternative family
housing.

Protect Your Data

* Some companies looking to cut numbers have increased the usage of computer
automation, making them more vulnerable to outages. Copy electronic data to a
USB memory stick, CD-ROM or DVD-R using your PC`s optical drive to help the
company be capable of rebounding faster.
* Use a portable hard disk that can back up your entire PC disk drive at the
touch of a button or use a ruggedized laptop computer that, like the other data
copies, can be unplugged and taken with you to safeguard data against any
emergencies.

"If you haven`t prepared a contingency plan, now is a good time to start. If you
already have a plan in place, now is the best time to schedule a checkup to make
sure it is up to date and in sync with your business," Toigo said. "Scheduling
periodic reviews is a smart and effective approach to turning your preparedness
plan into a recovery capability."

For more information on disaster preparedness strategies for small businesses,
please visit www.officedepot.com/getprepared.

For Office Depot store locations, please click on Office Depot: Your Local
Office Supply Store to find locations near you.

About Office Depot

Every day, Office Depot is Taking Care of Business for millions of customers
around the globe. For the local corner store as well as Fortune 500 companies,
Office Depot provides products and services to its customers through 1,604
worldwide retail stores, a dedicated sales force, top-rated catalogs and a $4.6
billion e-commerce operation. Office Depot has annual sales of approximately
$14.5 billion, and employs about 42,000 associates around the world. The Company
provides more office products and services to more customers in more countries
than any other company, and currently sells to customers directly or through
affiliates in 48 countries.

Office Depot`s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the
symbol ODP and is included in the S&P 500 Index. Additional press information
can be found at: http://mediarelations.officedepot.com.

1 May 2009 Hurricane Awareness Poll. Mason-Dixon Polling & Research on behalf of
The National Hurricane Initiative sponsored by The National Hurricane Center.

Office Depot
Melissa Perlman, 561-438-0704
Melissa.Perlman@officedepot.com
or
Emanate
Kristen Commander, 312-228-6831
Kristen.Commander@emanatepr.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009