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Apple's AirPods Pro return to a low $199 price at Staples
Staples has once more cut the price of Apple's AirPods Pro to $199, and regular AirPods are also on sale.
Staples is opening podcast studios in six Boston stores
Staples' latest ploy to get people into its retail stores is podcast recording booths. This week, the podcasting company Spreaker announced that it's part of a collaboration bringing recording spaces to six Staples stores in the Boston area. The booths are part of a new Staples Connect model, in which the retail stores offer coworking and community event spaces.
The best deals for Black Friday
Black Friday, the shopping mania that occurs the day after American Thanksgiving, may be more important than ever in 2016. Between 4K TVs, new game consoles, media hubs, mobile devices and wearables, there are many potential gifts this year -- those discounts could be crucial to splurging on someone or treating yourself. But where do you go to find the best bargains? Never fear, as we're rounding up some of the bigger deals you'll see on and around November 25th. And many of these deals will be online, so you might not have to brave packed stores and shopping malls to save some cash.
Judge blocks Staples and Office Depot merger
Last year around this time, Staples announced that it had purchased Office Depot, in a deal that would have created one enormous outlet for office supplies, computers, 3D printing services and more. However, US regulators thought the new company would be too enormous, and convinced a court to kill the merger on antitrust grounds. US District Judge Emmet Sullivan ruled that the acquisition "will substantially impair competition," especially to business customers, and that blocking it was "in the public interest."
Amazon's Echo smart speaker is coming to retail stores
You no longer have to buy online to give the Amazon Echo a shot. Amazon will soon sell the smart, voice-guided speaker in more than 3,000 retail stores, including Brookstone, Fry's, Home Depot, PC Richard & Son, RadioShack, Sears and Staples (which previously sold it on the web). The rollout is taking place over the next few weeks, and a few big stores are conspicuously absent in the mix -- Best Buy, anyone? Still, this beats worrying about holiday shipping headaches.
Staples teams up with Sculpteo to offer online 3D printing services
Staples has been keen to offer its customers access to both 3D printers and printing services for quite some time. Today, though, the company announced that it's teaming up with Sculpteo on a "new online 3D printing platform." In other words, you'll be able to upload your designs or choose from a collection of pre-designed models before adding text or images, selecting from different materials and more. Sculpteo, a 3D-printing outfit with experience in bulk orders, will use its know-how to power the online service that looks to offer a better option for customers. Staples previously managed 3D printing through its own in-house Copy & Print counters. If you'd rather manage the entire process, the retailer sells 3D printers, too. However, if you'd rather not splurge for the whole setup, the new service is scheduled to go live worldwide next week. [Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
Amazon's voice-controlled Echo speaker is now available at Staples
If you find yourself re-ordering office supplies, you can also nab Amazon's smart speaker in one fell swoop. Staples is the only place other than Amazon where you can purchase the voice-controlled Echo device. While Echo is listed on the Staples website, it's unclear whether or not the speaker will be available in stores (the two stores closest to me don't have them). The retailer known for paper and pens may seem like an odd choice as the only "exclusive" spot to nab the Alexa-powered gadget, but Staples also sells Kindles, Fire TV and Fire tablets, so it's not too much of a stretch. If you're looking to grab one, it carries the same $180 price tag and is available now via the Staples website.
Staples expands its tech shopping empire by acquiring Office Depot
Best Buy may have to fight a bit harder for your technology dollar. Staples just bought Office Depot, making it by far the biggest office supply outlet in the US and a considerably larger source for everything from computers to 3D printing. The combined company hopes to use its newfound clout to speed up its "strategic reinvention," letting it dip into delivery businesses and escape its old-school focus on workplace basics like pens and desk chairs.
Staples breach may have affected over a million credit cards
Good grief, the hacks just don't stop. Now office-supply store Staples believes that it suffered an attack that compromised some 1.16 million payment cards. Between August 10th and September 16th this year, 115 stores were afflicted by malware that "may have" grabbed cardholder names and payment information, and two stores possibly fell victim from July 20th to September 16th this year as well. The retailer isn't fully owning up to the attacks just yet, but it's offering a mea culpa all the same: free identity protection, credit reports and a host of other security services to anyone who used a card at the affected stores (PDF). And even though four Manhattan locations had reports of fraudulent payment use from this April to September without any malware or suspicious activity taking place, the outfit is extending the aforementioned benefits to customers of those stores as well.
Engadget's Cyber Monday 2014 roundup
So you've finally recovered from Thanksgiving dinner, only to realize that you missed out on some hot Black Friday deals. Are you stuck paying full price for your gifts? Far from it -- a whole host of stores are participating in Cyber Monday, a second round of (usually online-only) sales that are frequently as tempting as what you saw just a few days earlier. There are some particularly juicy bargains this year, ranging from surprisingly affordable 4K TVs and smartwatches to gigantic game console bundles. Check out the gallery below to see some of the bigger Cyber Monday deals we've spotted so far, and be sure to let fellow readers know about other bargains in the comments! [Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
Staples begins accepting Apple Pay at 1,400 locations
With Apple Pay seemingly off to a great start, the number of retail outlets where customers can use Apple's mobile payment platform is already expanding. Yesterday, reports surfaced indicating that 1,400 Staples locations are now accepting payment via Apple Pay. This, of course, is in addition to the Staples iOS app which has accepted Apple Pay payments since the service launched a few weeks ago. As it stands now, Apple has 36 retail partners who officially support Apple Pay transactions. Of course, the total figure is much higher as any retail chain with NFC equipped POS machines can accept Apple Pay transactions, assuming, of course, retailers don't proactively disable support a'la Rite Aid and CVS. Per Apple's website, the following companies will roll out support for Apple Pay "soon": Anthropologie, Free People, Urban Outfiggers, Sephora, and Walt Disney Parks and Resort.
Report: Apple reaches #2 online retail spot after Amazon
This morning, Philip Elmer-Dewitt of Fortune.com writes that Apple has attained the number two spot in online retail. According to sales data, Apple has now passed Staples and Walmart. This achievement is partly due to an accounting change that now includes hardware sales along with iTunes and App Store revenue. Part of Apple's 24% increase last year (to $18.3 billion) is due to an accounting change: For the first time, Apple threw online hardware sales into the mix alongside iTunes and App Store sales. Amazon's retail offerings, of course, are considerably broader than Apple's. But as Asymco's Horace Dediu pointed out in a chart posted on Twitter last week, Apple has the edge in terms of online accounts. Those could come in handy if Apple, as rumored, is working on a new, iOS-based mobile payment service. Even setting aside the new accounting change, the rise in Apple's revenues started several years ago, beginning its noticeable acceleration in 2010. You can see the respective retailer stories in the above chart sourced from the Wall Street Journal. Sales results image courtesy of the Wall Street Journal
Staples is launching an in-store 3D printing service
First it sold select 3D printers in stores, then it sold print-by-mail services in Europe -- now Staples is offering US customers a chance to print objects on-demand and on-site. The company's launch event is focusing on the fun side of 3D printing, serving up action figures and personalized Starfleet officers to walk-in customers, but Staples says it hopes the service will catch the attention of small businesses. Customers will have access to up to seven kinds of printers and six types of materials in store, including the Cube and Cube X models Staples already sells. Larger jobs will be farmed out to 3D Systems -- the company behind the 3D printed guitar we saw at Engadget Expand last year. Don't have the modeling chops to prepare your on 3D-printable file? Staples has that covered too, and is planning to train graphic design consultants to help customers model their vision. Unfortunately, Staples hasn't announced pricing for any of these services yet, but at least the pilot program seems robust enough to give UPS a run for its money.
Staples begins selling iPads and iPods
Seven months after Staples became an authorized reseller of Mac and iOS accessories, the office supply giant is now selling both iPads and iPods via its online store. The splash page for Staples.com advertises the iPad and iPad Mini while also indicating that the items are eligible for free shipping and 5 percent back in rewards points. As it stands now, iPads and iPods via Staples are only available online, but that may soon change if online sales of Apple's popular tablet prove to be successful. 9to5Mac reports: While Staples is said to be excited about carrying the iPad and iPod online, the company has greater aspirations. The source says that Staples would like to be able to sell the iPad directly from its brick-and-mortar chain by early next year. In order for Apple to agree to this, Staples will need to refer a certain amount of online iPad sales to its customers weekly until the end of 2013. Staples stores will gain in-store kiosks to promote the iPads during the next few months. With over 2,000 brick-and-mortar stores across 26 countries, getting the iPad into Staples retail stores would certainly help Apple sell more iPads.
Bloomberg: Staples and RadioShack remove Amazon lockers from stores
Perhaps placing Amazon lockers right within the confines of a couple of its toughest competitors might not have been such a great idea after all. Several months ago, Staples and RadioShack agreed to add the online retailer's lockers inside a few brick and mortar locations so that Amazon customers could choose to pick up their goods at the store instead of missing a delivery, with the host retailer getting a small fee in exchange. According to Bloomberg however, Staples and RadioShack have now decided to yank the lockers from their stores. Staples claimed the Amazon deal "didn't meet the criteria" that was set up, while RadioShack stated that the lockers "didn't fit with its strategy." We can't say we're terribly surprised to see the rivals part ways, but hey, at least you can still find an Amazon locker in select 7-Elevens. [Image credit: Adam Matan, Wikimedia Commons]
Surface RT 32GB gets price cut to $349 at Staples, starting July 14th
It didn't take long for us to grab some important details (well, a time and a place) about an incoming Surface RT price cut. Our source has forwarded a Staples ad -- and working link -- which reveals that a $150 price cut on the entry-level 32GB Surface RT will start this Sunday 14th July. No word on a discounted Touch Cover option, however, at least not from Staples, but we'll fill you in if there's other retailers jumping on the discount. (Thanks, Brandon!)
Acer's 8.1-inch Iconia W3 tablet now on sale in the US
If you've wanted full-blown Windows 8 in bite-size form, you now have your chance: the Acer Iconia W3 is on sale in the US. The 8.1-inch slate is in stock at both Office Depot and Staples, starting at $350 for a 32GB model at both outlets. Don't count on the 64GB version being available -- it's still listed as an online-only pre-order at Office Depot. There's also no word on inventory at Amazon or other competing retailers. Should you not be picky about capacities or store choices, however, you can take the W3 home today.
PSA: Acer Iconia W3 up for pre-order at Office Depot, Staples starting at $350
It's always refreshing when a product catches us by surprise, but thanks to several leaks, the Acer Iconia W3 definitely didn't fall into that category. So, when it was unveiled at Computex 2013, we were ready for it in all its 8.1-inch 1,280 x 800, dual-core Intel Atom, Windows Pro 8 glory. The wee slate also ushered in Microsoft's temporary offer of Office for free on 10-inch or smaller Windows Pro tablets, and you can now pre-order the 32GB version at Staples for $380 or $350 from Office Depot, while a 64GB version from Amazon will run you $430. An optional keyboard should arrive soon for $90, so if you've been coveting a small form-factor Windows tab -- RT-free -- hit the source.
Staples selling 3D Systems' Cube printer online, select retail availability starting in June
Staples is pushing its consumer printing offerings into the third dimension. The office supply chain has begun selling 3D Systems' Cube printer through its site, as of this morning. Come the end of June, the WiFi-enabled, semi-portable printer will be hitting a select number of retail locations for $1,300. The Cube's availability follows news of some higher-end 3D printing offerings at a very select number of Staples locations. Check the source link below to pick up the Cube in one of five colors -- and if you need some enthusiastic testimonies regarding the revolutionary nature of consumer 3D printing, be sure to click through to the press release below.
Galaxy S 4 availability hinted at in Staples document, pegged for April 26th on AT&T
Scrambling to find a launch date for the Samsung Galaxy S 4? Staples may have just dropped a hint. According to a leaked store training sheet, AT&T will be offering the next Galaxy phone on April 26th, followed by T-Mobile on May 1st and Verizon on the 30th. Bold lettering warns these dates are tentative but they are familiar, matching both the UK launch date and T-Mobile's own declarations. Naturally, we try to take these things with a grain of salt, though it's worth noting that the document asks stores to prepare GS 4 reservation signage on 4/15, one day before official pre-orders begin. It isn't an iron-clad case for the phone's launch by any means, but for the eager Galaxy fan, tentative is better than nothing. Skip on past the break for a peek at the full page. [Thanks, anonymous!]
