As 2002 began, Office Depot introduced its new brand commitment, What you need. What you need to know. Grounded in one of the Company's core values, Fanatical Customer Service, the brand sets the stage for all retail store visitors to find not only the office solutions they are looking for, but access to a wide range of product information and guidance necessary to ensure an enjoyable and fulfilling experience.

Office Depot's ability to fulfill its brand promise is dependent on a number of key strategies.

The Company intensified its efforts to ensure that store personnel are friendly, knowledgeable and caring individuals equipped with the information and support they need to help them succeed. Utilizing traditional person-to-person training methods as well as the many advantages offered by technology, Office Depot successfully placed a wide array of essential tools in the hands of its front-line representatives.

At the same time, sophisticated planning methods to guarantee the most efficient and cost-effective scheduling of personnel were employed. The systems enable careful consideration of customer preferences and shopping patterns to ensure that stores are staffed appropriately.

Another important strategy might be described as thinking outside the box- both literally and figuratively. Office Depot introduced innovative product assortments designed to serve customers with limited time to shop. Taking convenience a step further, the Company announced a partnership resulting in the placement of an Office Depot branded "store within a store" inside other retail formats in the northeastern United States, and plans are underway to expand on this novel concept. Furthermore, the Company continued to build the depth and breadth of its private label brands as another way to offer highquality products at affordable prices to its retail customers.