Office Depot is “Taking Care of You for School”

Parenting Expert Dr. Michele Borba Gives Parents Advice on How to Make Back to School Cool and Affordable

In the face of a tough economy, families are looking for ways to save money and increase value with every purchase this back to school season. To help parents, Office Depot (NYSE:ODP), a leading global provider of office products and services, is offering a variety of tips in a new online resource called Taking Care of You for School: Tips for Making Back to School Cool and Affordable. The guide features smart shopping tactics parents can implement to get their kids the cool and stylish products that they want, and also stay within their budgets.

"Kids will love the great assortment of trendy, 'must-have' fashionable products at Office Depot, including exclusive designs not found anywhere else," said Dr. Michele Borba, author and parenting advisor for Office Depot. "And, parents will love Office Depot because it is a one-stop shopping destination for all school supplies and has guaranteed low pricing."

Highlights from Taking Care of You for School: Tips for Making Back to School Cool and Affordable include:

-- Prepare and follow a budget. Establishing clear budget parameters up front helps eliminate unnecessary misunderstandings at the checkout counter. Take into account your family's financial situation, and tell your child how much money you are allocating for back to school supplies. Then let them shop, compare and save!

-- Empower your kids to shop within set guidelines. One way is to provide them with a predetermined amount of money in the form of a gift card, such as one from Office Depot that offers a tremendous selection of products across a wide range of prices.

-- There's no substitute for comparison shopping, and kids will have a field day when it comes to backpacks. TUG backpacks from Office Depot are ergonomically designed and available in great colors starting at only $9.99. Or your child will look great in a backpack from famed surf photographer Aaron Chang for only $29. Advise your kids on parameters, like how to look for a backpack that will fit their bodies and help them tote lots of weight.

-- Give your child freedom. Parents need to give their kids the freedom to make their own personal choices when it comes to everyday decisions such as school supplies and accessories. Give your kids free reign over the colors and patterns he or she selects.

-- Making something uniquely yours can be as simple as mixing and matching a variety of designs and patterns. Coordinated and interchangeable products help students mix and match their favorite school supplies. From TUG Book Covers and Fashion Paper Ports to the Office Depot Calculator Pouch, Office Depot Composition Notebooks and Ativa Laptop Skins, students can choose from a variety of colors and designs that will help them create a style of their own.

-- Kids can even customize their supplies by using Office Depot's Design, Print and Ship Depot. Simply pick a design template, bring in your favorite photo, and then apply it to folders, notebooks, locker wallpaper, and even book covers for a truly personalized product. Customized back to school products can be created at any Office Depot retail location nationwide.

For more great tips and product suggestions from Dr. Borba, please visit www.school.com.

About Dr. Michele Borba
Michele Borba, Ed.D. is an internationally renowned educator and motivational speaker who has presented keynotes and workshops to over one million parents and teachers, and is the recipient of the National Educator Award. Dr. Borba serves on the honorary board to Parents magazine and has appeared as a guest expert on Today, The Early Show, The View, Fox & Friends, MSNBC, and NPR. She is the award-winning author of 20 books including "Parents Do Make a Difference," "No More Misbehavin'," "Building Moral Intelligence," "Don't Give Me That Attitude!," and "Nobody Likes Me, Everybody Hates Me" (all Jossey-Bass).

About Office Depot
Every day, Office Depot is Taking Care of Business for millions of customers around the globe. For the local corner store as well as Fortune 500 companies, Office Depot provides products and services to its customers through 1,670 worldwide retail stores, a dedicated sales force, top-rated catalogs and a $4.9 billion e-commerce operation. Office Depot has annual sales of approximately $15.5 billion, and employs about 49,000 associates around the world. The Company provides more office products and services to more customers in more countries than any other company, and currently sells to customers directly or through affiliates in 43 countries.

Office Depot's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP and is included in the S&P 500 Index. Additional press information can be found at: http://mediarelations.officedepot.com. Press materials specific to Office Depot's environmental programs can be found at http://mediarelations.officedepot.cc/environment.