BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Office Depot (NYSE: ODP), celebrating 25 years as a leading global provider of office supplies and services, will be hosting more than 100,000 teachers at its retail stores as part of the Company’s signature Teacher Appreciation Week across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Now in its eighth year, Office Depot’s Teacher Appreciation celebration recognizes teachers for their ongoing commitment to the classroom with discounts, special offers and breakfasts in their honor.
The Teacher Appreciation Week events will be held at Office Depot stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico during the weeks of July 30, August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27. Teachers can find out the date of their local store’s event by visiting www.mystarteacher.com/tab.
“Office Depot is honored to reward teachers for their hard work and the time they dedicate to their students in the classroom,” said Adriana Vethencourt, Director of Loyalty Marketing for Office Depot. “Our Star Teacher Program is designed to thank teachers for all the work they do throughout the school year, and to make the back-to-school shopping experience convenient and rewarding for them.”
During Teacher Appreciation Week, both new and existing members of the Office Depot Star Teacher Program are invited to enjoy a 20 percent instant discount on qualifying in-store purchases in addition to everyday Star Teacher benefits.
Star Teacher members attending the local breakfast event in their area will also receive a FREE Star Teacher Tote Bag filled with samples of Office Depot Brand products and a Coupon Book with a year’s worth of savings. Event sponsors include Brother®, Carson-Dellosa, Command™, Five Star®, Foray®, Post-it® and Scotch®. All complimentary gifts are subject to availability.
With the current challenging economic environment, educators are using their own money to purchase needed supplies, books and other items like hand sanitizer, tissues and refreshments for their classroom. In fact, according to a recent survey by the National School Supply and Equipment Association, teachers are spending an average of $356 out of their own pockets on supplies for the classroom annually*.
Mike Gordon, Store Manager of an Office Depot location in Atlanta said, “In my store, I always witness teachers reaching into their own pockets to purchase supplies for their students. The Teacher Appreciation breakfasts help us say ‘Thank You’ to the educators in our community for their commitment to the classroom.”
About the Office Depot Star Teacher Program
The Office Depot Star Teacher Program, launched in 2003, provides members with special promotions, discounts and offers to help teachers stretch their classroom budgets in these challenging economic times. Pre-K through 12th grade classroom teachers are eligible to be members of the Office Depot Star Teacher program. Enrollment in the program is free and can be done at any Office Depot store. Ask a store associate for details or visit www.mystarteacher.com for more information.
Star Teacher Program benefits include 10 percent back on ink, toner and paper purchases, an instant 15 percent off Copy & Print Depot services, bonus rewards opportunities, and exclusive Teacher Appreciation Events throughout the year**.
About the Office Depot 5% Back to Schools Program
Besides the discounts offered during Teacher Appreciation Week, Star Teachers can use their school’s 5% Back to Schools ID number year-round when buying school supplies at Office Depot to get credits for free supplies! To participate, customers simply need to provide their school’s 5% Back to Schools Program ID number at checkout, and Office Depot will total the qualifying purchases*** made during each quarter. The school of choice will be awarded 5% of the qualifying purchases in merchandise credit, when they earn at least $10, which can be used toward supplies. To access your local school’s ID number, ask a store associate or visit www.mystarteacher.com. Click the Smart Services link to learn more. Since the program’s inception, Office Depot has given back nearly $23 million to local schools.
About Office Depot
Celebrating 25 years as a leading global provider of office supplies and services, 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 supplies and services to its customers through 1,627 worldwide retail stores, a dedicated sales force, top-rated catalogs and global e-commerce operations. Office Depot has annual sales of approximately $11.6 billion, and employs about 40,000 associates around the world. The Company provides more office supplies and services to more customers in more countries than any other company, and currently sells to customers directly or through affiliates in 56 countries.
Office Depot’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP. Additional press information can be found at: http://mediarelations.officedepot.com and http://socialpress.officedepot.com/.
* The National School Supply and Equipment Association (NSSEA) released the 2010 NSSEA Retail Market Awareness Study. This study, conducted by Perry Research Professionals, reports on teachers' knowledge of parent-teacher stores, including their spending patterns, funding sources, shopping preferences, and factors that influence their purchasing decisions. For more information on NSSEA, please visit www.nssea.org.
**Must be a legal resident of the U.S. and Puerto Rico, and 18 or older, and a teacher grade Pre- K-12 to participate. 15% instant discount excludes postage stamps. Rewards are granted on qualified purchases and exclusions apply. Purchases made with Office Depot Rewards and Merchandise cards/certificate do not qualify for Rewards. Free item with purchase reduces amount of qualifying purchase by value of free item. Rewards are paid quarterly in the form of an Office Depot® Rewards Certificate when you earn a minimum of $10 in Rewards. Unpaid Rewards expire at the end of each quarter. Limit 1 account per household/business. Terms are subject to change. Call 877.789.4544 or visit www.mystarteacher.com for current Program Terms and Conditions.
***Pre-K-12th grade only. Not available in Puerto Rico. 5% of qualifying purchases made during each program period will be offered quarterly as an Office Depot® Merchandise Card to the participating school designated by each customer (up to a total of $10 million). Products that do not qualify are: technology and consumer electronic products and accessories, media and software that is not education or reference related; furniture and furniture accessories; ink and toner; Gift Cards; postage stamps; purchases from Copy & Print Depot; and purchases made to contract business accounts except purchases made by Office Depot Rewards Platinum members. Credits are not available to schools with less than $10 in tallied credits. Unaccepted/declined credits are void. Visit www.officedepot.com for details.