An Event of Olympic Proportions: Office Depot Celebrates 12 Years in Seattle.

News & Business Editors

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 9, 2001

Office Depot (NYSE:ODP):

On Saturday, July 14:

-- Customer Appreciation Week Kicks Off with a Community Day

-- Olympic Athletes Make Guest Appearances at 13 Office Depot Stores

-- SHOPA's Kids In Need are Invited to Special Pre-Event with Olympic Athletes

On Saturday, July 14, Office Depot, Inc. (NYSE:ODP), the world's largest seller of office products, will host a special Community Day for underprivileged children for World Vision and SHOPA's Kids in Need Resource Center and for the Seattle community at each of its thirteen Seattle-area retail stores.

Beginning at 8 am, over 300 children from the Kids in Need Resource Center are invited to thirteen Office Depot stores for breakfast and a special ceremony with Olympic athletes. Each child will receive a Colorific coloring book -- designed by Sanford for the event -- with a "Colorific Cares" theme of sharing, teamwork and being a good neighbor.

Following breakfast and a coloring activity, Olympic athletes will present each child with Office Depot "Gold Medals" and a "goody bag" -- compliments of Sanford -- that includes a coloring autograph book, and Sanford's new line of coloring products: Colorific crayons, colored pencils, markers, glitz and gel sticks.

Notes Mary Daudelin, Colorific brand manager: "We are pleased to support Office Depot's Community Day, celebrate our children and enable everyone to try our new Colorific line at this wonderful event. We applaud Office Depot for making it all happen in Seattle!"

From 10 am to noon, Seattle children are invited to meet Olympic athletes. Children will also receive Office Depot "Gold Medals" and "Colorific goody bags," while supplies last. A limited quantity of 200 bags and medals are available at the thirteen participating Office Depot retail stores.

In addition, several Seattle community organizations will participate in Office Depot's Community Day. Scheduled organizations include local police and fire departments, recycling centers and many more. Safety demonstrations and information will be provided to the Seattle community.

Community Day kicks off the beginning of "Customer Appreciation" week at Office Depot stores. Throughout "Customer Appreciation" week (July 14-21), Office Depot vendors will be at Office Depot stores to provide product demonstrations, answer questions, and help customers with product selection. Vendors include representatives from Microsoft b-Central, Motorola, Nextel, Palm, Panasonic, Sprint PCS, and many more.

Commenting on the day's events, Jerry Colley, President of North American Retail Stores said, "Seattle has been a strong and important market for us for the past twelve years. We wanted to thank them and show our appreciation with some community outreach activities and provide something for everyone. We're pleased to be here and look forward to many more years serving the Seattle community."

About Office Depot

As of March 31, 2001, Office Depot operated 824 office supply superstores in the United States and Canada, in addition to a national business-to-business delivery network supported by 25 delivery centers, more than 60 local sales offices and eight regional call centers. Furthermore, the Company had operations in 16 countries outside of the United States and Canada, including 28 office supply stores in France and seven in Japan that are owned and operated by the Company; and 97 additional office supply stores under joint venture and licensing agreements operating under the Office Depot(R) name in five foreign countries. The Company also operates an award-winning U.S. Office Depot(R) brand Internet Web site at http://www.officedepot.com where customers can access Office Depot's low competitive prices seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day, and it operates http://www.officedepot.co.jp in Japan and http://www.officedepot.fr in France as well as Viking(R) brand Web sites at http://www.vikingop.com in the United States, http://www.viking-direct.co.uk in the United Kingdom, http://www.viking.de in Germany, http://www.vikingdirect.nl in The Netherlands, http://www.vikingop.it in Italy, http://www.vikingop.com.au in Australia, http://www.vikingop.co.jp in Japan and http://www.vikingdirect.fr in France. Office Depot's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP and is included in the S&P 500 Index. Office Depot is an Official Sponsor of the U.S. 2002 Olympic Team.

About Sanford

Headquartered in Bellwood, Illinois, Sanford is the world's largest writing instrument company, which manufactures and markets more than 3,000 products worldwide.