FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Staples, Inc. (Nasdaq:SPLS) will host a live Internet broadcast of its first quarter 2002 earnings conference call at 8:00 a.m.(Eastern) on Tuesday, May 21, 2002.

Individuals may access the broadcast from Staples' Web site directly at http://investor.staples.com. A replay of the quarterly earnings conference call will be available at http://investor.staples.com from 11:30 a.m. (Eastern) on May 21, through midnight on Tuesday, May 28, 2002.

About Staples

Staples Inc. is an $11 billion retailer of office supplies, business services furniture and technology to consumers and businesses from home-based businesses to Fortune 500 companies in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal. Headquartered outside Boston, Staples invented the office superstore concept and today is the largest operator of office superstores in the world. The company has approximately 53,000 associates serving customers through more than 1,400 office superstores, mail order catalogs, e-commerce and a contract business. More information about the company is available at www.staples.com.