The Quill office-supplies catalog has been introduced in the United Kingdom by parent company Staples Inc., Staples announced yesterday. The first mailing was in March.
Germany is the next target, once the U.K. operation has been fully established, said Staples spokesperson Shannon Lapierre.
“We’re looking to expand across Europe,” said Lapierre.
Staples has 50 stores in the U.K. and 25 stores in Germany and hopes to open 20 additional stores in Europe this year. It also sells by mail through its Staples Direct operation, although the product range is nowhere near that of Quill, Lapierre said.
The Quill operation will be separate from that of the U.S. It will have its own pricing and product sources, and publish its own catalogs.
Quill will use a call the Staples Direct call center in Birmingham, and its 120,000-square-foot distribution center in Dudley. Quill, which was acquired by Staples last year, brings unique targeting capability–for example, it mails a catalog specifically for the legal industry.
“Quill is an excellent addition to our European operations,” said Staples CEO Ronald L. Sargent, in a statement. “It satisfies the demands of a broader market segment, in terms of size and product and service needs.”
