Staples Inc. will purchase the mail order business of French office supplies direct marketer Guilbert, for about $807 million.
With the acquisition, Staples will enter France, Italy, Spain and Belgium.
Guilbert will continue to operate under its own brand names and become part of Staples’ European business. Salvatore Perri will lead it and report to Staples vice chairman Basil Anderson.
Guilbert was a unit of French direct marketing and retailing giant Pinault Printemps Redoute. Based outside of Paris, this business operates as JPG and Bernard in France and Belgium, MondOffice in Italy, Kalamazoo in Spain and Neat Ideas in the U.K.
The purchase is expected to close this fall.
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