Office Depot announces State College closure

Office Depot’s sliding glass doors will close for the last time in the new year.

The retailer will turn its lights off for good Jan. 23, according to Office Depot spokeswoman Julianne Embry.

The merchandiser announced last year, after its merger with OfficeMax, that it would shutter about 400 stores by the end of 2016. The chain closed 165 storefronts last year and 182 in 2015, Embry said.

It is unknown how many people worked at the Benner Pike location, and employees declined comment.

“While we do not disclose the number of associates who may be impacted, we will do everything we can to help them by providing eligible associates with a severance package and other company subsidized benefits,” Embry said. “Also, where possible, we are working with our associates to identify open opportunities in our neighboring stores or in other areas within the company.”

Office Depot, as a whole, had revenue losses in 2015, posting a 10 percent decline in sales through the third quarter compared to 2014.

The retailer is in the process of being bought by Staples, which has a location off North Atherton Street next to Best Buy, though Embry said the store’s closure is unrelated to the pending merger.

Staples agreed to acquire Office Depot in February for $6.3 billion, though the buy has been put on hold as the companies wait for the Federal Trade Commission’s blessing. Staples and Office Depot could get the FTC’s decision by Dec. 8, a date that was about a two-month extension of the review period initially agreed to.

The transaction’s closing, however, could be delayed longer, because the European Commission does not have to complete its review and give the go-ahead until February 2016.

The merger could also be blocked by the FTC or EC.

This story was originally published November 30, 2015 at 12:54 PM with the headline "Office Depot announces State College closure."