Customer Retention: Staples Launches Omnichannel Printing Program to Better Serve B-to-B Customers

Staples Advantage, the B-to-B division of Staples Inc., launched a new program in March designed to better serve the needs of the office supply retailer's business customers. Print-to-Store enables customers to order print jobs through staplesadvantage.com and pick up the finished product at their closest Staples store. The program caters to the omnichannel shopping behaviors of Staples' B-to-B customers.

Print-to-Store is available at all Staples stores that offer copy and print services, enabling employees to order print jobs from any location while providing procurement departments greater visibility into what's being printed and how much it costs. The program also offers telecommuters the flexibility to use their Staples Advantage accounts to submit print jobs, which they can pick up at their nearest retail location. Staples Advantage's streamlined billing means employees don't have to pay in-store or submit expenses for reimbursement.

"We're committed to making it easy for our Staples Advantage customers to shop, however and whenever they want," said Steve Bussberg, senior vice president, Staples Advantage, in a company press release. "Print-to-Store is a unique offering that leverages our vast network of retail locations while streamlining billing for both end users and procurement departments."

Print-to-Store serves Staples Advantage's increasingly diversified and mobile customer base, while at the same time providing these additional benefits:

• Increased employee productivity: With less time spent worrying about printing needs and filling out expense reports, employees are freed up to focus on their primary jobs, helping them to be more productive.
• Reliability and quality control: Going through multiple iterations of printing a document can be costly and time consuming. With Print-to-Store, all documents can be previewed before submitting, ensuring they print exactly as they've been configured.
• Controlling spend and usage: With Print-to-Store, companies gain control and insight into retail copy and print spend. Furthermore, an approval process can be set up to ensure employees only print work-related documents, eliminating the risk of misuse.