Grand & Toy is a Canadian B2B end-to-end supplier of office products and services, founded in 1882 by James Grand as a home-based stationery printing business. It is owned by The ODP Corporation, whose other brands include Office Depot and OfficeMax.

Grand & Toy
FormerlyOfficeMax Grand & Toy (2013–2014)
Company typeSubsidiary
Founded1882; 142 years ago (1882)
FounderJames Grand
Headquarters,
Canada
ProductsOffice supplies, technology, health & safety, furniture and interior services
Number of employees
1,100
ParentOfficeMax (1996–2013)
The ODP Corporation (2013–present)
Websitewww.grandandtoy.com Edit this at Wikidata
James Grand and Samuel Toy at the first store on Leader Lane and Colborne Street, Toronto, 1883
Delivering to the Toronto Dominion Centre

History

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Grand & Toy was founded in 1882 by James Grand as a home-based stationery printing business.[1] A year later, Grand partnered with his brother-in-law, Samuel Toy, to open their first retail store.[2] In 1895, the business moved to a larger location and grew to have a staff of twelve. Then, in 1912, Grand & Toy added an office furniture department, and four years later, the business added printing facilities and a bindery. By 1982, when the company celebrated its centennial anniversary, Grand & Toy had 35 locations.[3]

In 1996, Grand & Toy was purchased by Boise Office Solutions, later renamed OfficeMax, a US-based international office supplies distributor, for US$104 million.[4] By 2013, the company had repositioned itself as an end-to-end provider of business solutions.[5]

In 2008, the company's distribution network, one of the largest in Canada, made 8.4 million deliveries.[6]

In early 2013, the company rebranded as "OfficeMax Grand & Toy", as part of an effort by its U.S. parent company to present a unified brand to customers across North America.[5] However, by the end of the year, OfficeMax had merged with U.S. competitor Office Depot.[7]

On 23 April 2014, OfficeMax Grand & Toy announced it would be focusing on online retail, which accounted for 97% of its sales.[8] The company closed its remaining 19 retail locations.[8][1]

In December 2014, the Canadian operation announced it would rebrand back to simply "Grand & Toy", explaining the reversal as an expression of "confidence in Grand & Toy's brand legacy and a strong commitment to its long-term success".[9]

In 2016, Grand & Toy and TerraCycle Canada announced a national retailer recycling program for office products. The program includes recycling for coffee capsules, office supplies, and computer accessories.[10]

In May 2021, Office Depot announced that it would be splitting into two companies: ODP and NewCo. NewCo will include Office Depot’s business solutions division and Grand & Toy.[11][12]

Corporate social responsibility

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As of 2015, Grand & Toy's social responsibility efforts include waste and recycling programs,[10] green products and services,[13] thought leadership and business insights,[14] and transportation efficiency.[15]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Grand & Toy To Close All 19 Retail Stores". The Huffington Post. April 24, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  2. ^ "Grand & Toy: Corporate History". Retrieved 2006-07-05.
  3. ^ "Grand & Toy celebrates 115 years: From hand-drawn wagons to computers: Office supplies company has adapted to changing times". strategy. 1997-04-17. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  4. ^ "Boise Cascade Corp: 10K Annual Report". Archived from the original on 2006-10-30. Retrieved 2006-07-05.
  5. ^ a b Laird, Kristin (2013-05-07). "GRAND & TOY JUMPS UP REPUTATION RANKINGS, REBRANDS TO THE MAX". Marketing. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
  6. ^ "Supply Chain Sustainability: What a Difference a Day Makes". Inbound Logistics. Retrieved 2021-09-02.
  7. ^ Dhanya Skariachan (5 November 2013). "Office Depot closes deal to buy OfficeMax". Reuters.
  8. ^ a b "OfficeMax Grand & Toy to close retail stores as business customers shift to growing e-commerce and direct sales channels". Canada NewsWire. 23 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  9. ^ Grand & Toy (2014-12-08). "Grand & Toy Renews its Brand with a Nod to its Iconic Heritage". Archived from the original on 2016-01-11. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
  10. ^ a b Mike Hower (2015-01-23). "Grand & Toy, TerraCycle Launch National Office Products Recycling Program". Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  11. ^ "Office Depot owner ODP to spin off its distribution platform into a separate company". CNBC. 2021-05-05. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  12. ^ "Office Depot Will Split Consumer, B2B Businesses into Two Independent Companies". Retail TouchPoints. 2021-05-06. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  13. ^ Harmeet Singh (2015-04-06). "Grand & Toy's new shades". Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  14. ^ COPA (2015-04-30). "University students consider environmental track record when choosing an employer". Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  15. ^ Grand & Toy (2015-06-14). "Transportation Efficiency". Retrieved 2015-06-14.
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