The following is a breakdown of these charges by segment.

After considering the effect of income taxes, the impact of these one-time charges and credits on our net earnings was $172.9 million, $69.3 million and $86.8 million for 2000, 1999, and 1998, respectively. The remaining Results of Operations discussion excludes the one-time charges and credits discussed above because the effects of these charges are not comparable on a year-over-year basis.

Overall

Our overall sales increased by 13% in 2000 and 14% in 1999. Our largest percentage sales increases in 2000 were realized in our BSG segment, driven most significantly by the growth in our contract and Internet businesses. Our domestic Internet sales increased $499.8 million over 1999. Also contributing significantly to our sales growth in 2000 was the continued expansion of our store base. In 1999, our store expansion program accounted for our largest percentage sales increases over 1998. We increased our domestic and international store base by 63 and 14 stores, respectively, in 2000 and by 123 and 31 stores, respectively, in 1999. In our stores and warehouses worldwide, we achieved comparable sales growth of 7% in 2000 and 6% in 1999. Sales in 2000 contain an additional week in December in accordance with our 52– 53 week accounting convention. This week accounted for approximately $224 million of additional sales reported in 2000. Without this additional sales week, our total sales increase would have been 11% for 2000 compared to 1999.

Our worldwide sales by product group were as follows:

In 2000, our sales mix shifted back towards our core business items, which are mainly in the general office supplies category. Within the technology products category, the mix shifted from technology hardware and software towards machine supplies. In general, the market demand for technology hardware and software has declined from a year ago. Also, we did not offer a rebate from an Internet service provider for a portion of 2000, whereas our major competitors did have a rebate offering. These factors, along with our more competitive pricing strategy on many popular items in the machine supply category, caused the shift from technology hardware and software towards machine supplies. Office furniture was affected primarily by decreases in the average selling prices on these items during 2000. In 1999, low priced computers and aggressive promotional programs offering discounts on certain hardware and software when customers signed up for Internet service drove the increase in our sales of technology products over 1998.

Our overall gross profit percentages fluctuate as a result of numerous factors, including competitive pricing pressures; changes in product, catalog and customer mix; emergence of new technology; suppliers’ pricing changes; as well as our ability to improve our net product costs through growth in total merchandise purchases. Additionally, our occupancy costs may vary as we add stores and CSCs in new markets with different rental and other occupancy costs, and as we relocate and/or close existing stores in current markets.

In mid-2000, we reduced prices for paper and machine supplies across all of our domestic sales channels in response to competitive pressures from discount clubs and other non-traditional sellers of those supply items. These price reductions, along with increased product costs, primarily for paper and machine supplies, had the most significant effect on our decreased gross profit percentage in 2000 compared to 1999. These two product groups accounted for approximately 34% of our total sales mix in 2000. Decreased net product costs derived from mergerrelated synergies during 1999 drove our slight improvement in margins compared to 1998. However, offsetting these savings were increased occupancy costs in our North American Retail Division and lower margins in our International Division, both of which are discussed in more detail later.