Staples
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy if you need same-day office supplies, print jobs, or recycling drop-off at a physical store.
New check
Comparison
Staples vs Amazon
Staples and Amazon both land on Depends.
Amazon
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Use Amazon for cheap commodity goods and fast delivery.
| Compare | Amazon | |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Bulk office supply runs | Bulk commodity purchases |
| Who it's not for | Price-sensitive shoppers . Amazon and Walmart undercut it | Buyers needing trustworthy reviews for big purchases |
| Privacy | Two public incidents: 2014 card breach (~1.16M) and a Dec 2023 cyberattack that downed systems during Cyber Week.⁷ | No confirmed breach in sources, but active account-attack warnings and credential-abuse campaigns are reported. |
| Support quality | BBB complaints, mixed service reviews | Multiple support channels exist; ConsumerAffairs lists service complaints |
| Public sentiment | Reviews skew negative . 2.7/5 on ConsumerAffairs with recurring complaints about pricing practices and customer service, though retail locations draw some praise.¹ | Opinions are polarized: many love the convenience, while a growing share complain about declining quality, review distrust, and pricing practices.12 |
| Biggest gotcha | Cyberattack took systems offline during Cyber Week 2023; keep a backup supplier for peak season⁷ | FTC lawsuit alleges hidden ad surcharges that can inflate what you pay |
Pick Staples when
- Bulk office supply runs
- Same-day print jobs
- In-store pickup shoppers
- Electronics recycling drop-offs
When Staples is not a fit
- Price-sensitive shoppers . Amazon and Walmart undercut it
- Online-only buyers needing reliable checkout during peaks
- Anyone shopping for software . the IT-services pages are a store, not a vendor
- Offices expecting white-glove customer service
Pick Amazon when
- Bulk commodity purchases
- Fast-shipping needs
- Sellers wanting massive reach
- Price-comparison shoppers
When Amazon is not a fit
- Buyers needing trustworthy reviews for big purchases
- Ethical or values-driven shoppers
- Budget shoppers wanting price transparency
- Anyone unwilling to manage account-security risk
Sources
- Staples Reviews & Complaintsconsumeraffairs.comreview
- Read Customer Service Reviews of staples.comtrustpilot.comreview
- Staples . Yelp store reviewsyelp.comreview
- Is it worth it? . r/Staplesreddit.comreview
review
- Working at Staples: 13668 Reviewsindeed.comreview
- Staples hit by cyberattack during critical Cyber Week salescybersecuritydive.comsecurity
- Staples says security breach may have affected 1.16 millionsg.finance.yahoo.comsecurity
security
- Stores Like Staples: Amazon, Target, Walmart, Office Depotconsumergravity.comnews
- Staples.comstaples.comofficial
- Amazon Reviews | Trustpilottrustpilot.comreview
review
- Amazon Reviews | Glassdoor (211,500)glassdoor.comreview
- Amazon is unusably bad now . Redditreddit.comreview