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by | Mar 29, 2018 | Vernonia

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James Grand and Samuel Toy at the first store on Leader Lane and Colborne Street, Toronto, 1883
Delivering to the Toronto Dominion Centre

Grand & Toy is a Canadian B2B end-to-end supplier of office products and services, founded in 1882 by James Grand as a home-based stationery printing business. It is owned by The ODP Corporation, whose other brands include Office Depot and OfficeMax.

History

Grand & Toy was founded in 1882 by James Grand as a home-based stationery printing business.[1] A year later, Grand partnered with his brother-in-law, Samuel Toy, to open their first retail store.[2] In 1895, the business moved to a larger location and grew to have a staff of twelve. Then, in 1912, Grand & Toy added an office furniture department, and four years later, the business added printing facilities and a bindery. By 1982, when the company celebrated its centennial anniversary, Grand & Toy had 35 locations.[3]

In 1996, Grand & Toy was purchased by Boise Office Solutions, later renamed OfficeMax, a US-based international office supplies distributor, for US$104 million.[4] By 2013, the company had repositioned itself as an end-to-end provider of business solutions.[5]

In 2008, the company's distribution network, one of the largest in Canada, made 8.4 million deliveries.[6]

In early 2013, the company rebranded as "OfficeMax Grand & Toy", as part of an effort by its U.S. parent company to present a unified brand to customers across North America.[5] However, by the end of the year, OfficeMax had merged with U.S. competitor Office Depot.[7]

On 23 April 2014, OfficeMax Grand & Toy announced it would be focusing on online retail, which accounted for 97% of its sales.[8] The company closed its remaining 19 retail locations.[8][1]

In December 2014, the Canadian operation announced it would rebrand back to simply "Grand & Toy", explaining the reversal as an expression of "confidence in Grand & Toy's brand legacy and a strong commitment to its long-term success".[9]

In 2016, Grand & Toy and TerraCycle Canada announced a national retailer recycling program for office products. The program includes recycling for coffee capsules, office supplies, and computer accessories.[10]

In May 2021, Office Depot announced that it would be splitting into two companies: ODP and NewCo. NewCo will include Office Depot’s business solutions division and Grand & Toy.[11][12]

Corporate social responsibility

As of 2015, Grand & Toy's social responsibility efforts include waste and recycling programs,[10] green products and services,[13] thought leadership and business insights,[14] and transportation efficiency.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b "Grand & Toy To Close All 19 Retail Stores". The Huffington Post. April 24, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  2. ^ "Grand & Toy: Corporate History". Retrieved 2006-07-05.
  3. ^ "Grand & Toy celebrates 115 years: From hand-drawn wagons to computers: Office supplies company has adapted to changing times". strategy. 1997-04-17. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  4. ^ "Boise Cascade Corp: 10K Annual Report". Archived from the original on 2006-10-30. Retrieved 2006-07-05.
  5. ^ a b Laird, Kristin (2013-05-07). "GRAND & TOY JUMPS UP REPUTATION RANKINGS, REBRANDS TO THE MAX". Marketing. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
  6. ^ "Supply Chain Sustainability: What a Difference a Day Makes". Inbound Logistics. Retrieved 2021-09-02.
  7. ^ Dhanya Skariachan (5 November 2013). "Office Depot closes deal to buy OfficeMax". Reuters.
  8. ^ a b "OfficeMax Grand & Toy to close retail stores as business customers shift to growing e-commerce and direct sales channels". Canada NewsWire. 23 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  9. ^ Grand & Toy (2014-12-08). "Grand & Toy Renews its Brand with a Nod to its Iconic Heritage". Archived from the original on 2016-01-11. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
  10. ^ a b Mike Hower (2015-01-23). "Grand & Toy, TerraCycle Launch National Office Products Recycling Program". Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  11. ^ "Office Depot owner ODP to spin off its distribution platform into a separate company". CNBC. 2021-05-05. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  12. ^ "Office Depot Will Split Consumer, B2B Businesses into Two Independent Companies". Retail TouchPoints. 2021-05-06. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  13. ^ Harmeet Singh (2015-04-06). "Grand & Toy's new shades". Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  14. ^ COPA (2015-04-30). "University students consider environmental track record when choosing an employer". Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  15. ^ Grand & Toy (2015-06-14). "Transportation Efficiency". Retrieved 2015-06-14.

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