Office Depot plans to close 27 stores

9/13/2005

Office Depot Inc., the world s second-largest office supplies

retailer, said it will close 27 stores and write down the value

of unprofi table U.S. locations, incurring $319.5 million in pretax

costs through 2008.

About $252.1 million of the costs will be refl cted in the quarter ending Sept. 24, said the Delray Beach, Fla., firm yesterday.

Office Depot will close 16 stores in North America and 11 stores and one warehouse overseas. It s also dropping the Viking catalog brand in the U.S. The company did not disclose which locations are to be closed.

The Toledo area has a store on Monroe Street in Toledo and on

Airport Highway in Springfield Township.