BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Office Depot, Inc. (NASDAQ:ODP), a leading provider of office products, services, and solutions, today announced the results of an educator productivity survey whose findings uncovered the minimum cost of U.S. teacher time spent researching and buying supplies for their classrooms is more than half a billion dollars.

The non-profit Center for College & Career Readiness and Office Depot, Inc.’s Committed to Learning^TM initiative recently surveyed more than 2,800 educators regarding purchasing and researching needed supplies for use in the classroom. An average teacher’s salary is more than $55,000 per year (roughly $26 per hour) and there are more than 3.5 million full- time teachers in the U.S.¹, therefore based upon the results of the survey, the costs of researching and purchasing classroom supplies could reach over $500 million.

A few key findings from the survey:

• Nearly 70 percent of respondents indicated that a central purchasing hub would save time and money when buying classroom supplies;
• 42 percent of the educators surveyed reported purchasing classroom supplies every month;
• More than 30 percent indicated they spend more than 10 hours every year researching and buying supplies for the classroom;
• 50 percent of the educators surveyed preferred to purchase classroom supplies online.

Office Depot, Inc. partners with school districts from Connecticut to California to bring strategic planning expertise and a team of education experts to help plan, produce and deliver classroom materials, allowing educators to save time in the classroom. Through officedepot.com, educators have access to an easy-to-use central purchasing hub that helps with streamlining buying decisions.

“These survey findings show the increased demand for educator support when it comes to researching and purchasing classroom supplies,” said Becki Schwietz, senior director of growth strategies for Office Depot, Inc. “We are proud to partner with public and private schools around the country to reduce educators’ out-of-pocket expenses and time spent sourcing classroom supplies through our classroom enablement programs and print services instructional materials solutions.”

Office Depot, Inc. collaborates with school districts and other educational institutions through the company’s Committed to Learning™ initiative, which offers educators access to a national team of curriculum and instruction experts across disciplines. Through the Committed to Learning™ initiative, the company partners with school districts to meet their strategic goals by providing instructional solutions and access to experts that enrich the learning experience in the areas of personalized learning, project-based learning and innovative learning spaces, culture and wellness, instructional resources, and supplies.

To learn more, visit www.officedepot.com/education or contact them directly via email at [email protected].

¹ National Center for Education Statistics

Survey Methodology/Sample Qualifications

In February 2017, the Center for College & Career Readiness conducted a survey of educators on behalf of Office Depot’s Committed to Learning^TM initiative. A total of 2,819 educators (including Principals, Assistant Principals, Department Chairs, Teachers and more) participated in the survey.

About Office Depot, Inc.

Office Depot, Inc. is a leading global provider of products, services, and solutions for every workplace – whether your workplace is an office, home, school or car.

The company had 2016 annual sales of approximately $11 billion, employed approximately 38,000 associates, and served consumers and businesses in North America and abroad with approximately 1,400 retail stores, award-winning e-commerce sites and a dedicated business-to-business sales organization – with a global network of wholly owned operations, franchisees, licensees and alliance partners. The company operates under several banner brands including Office Depot, OfficeMax and Grand & Toy. The company’s portfolio of exclusive product brands include TUL, Foray, Brenton Studio, Ativa, WorkPro, Realspace and HighMark.

Office Depot, Inc.’s common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “ODP.”

Office Depot is a trademark of The Office Club, Inc. OfficeMax is a trademark of OMX, Inc. ©2017 Office Depot, Inc. All rights reserved. Any other product or company names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170522005235/en/