November 16, 2005 01:50 PM US Eastern Timezone

Staples Holiday Survey Reveals Digital Cameras as Number One Gift Choice; Portable Technology Gifts Including MP3 Players, Cell Phones and Satellite Radio Also Top List

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 16, 2005--According to the 2005 Staples Holiday Survey conducted by International Communications Research (ICR), digital cameras are the number one technology gift choice this holiday season, trumping MP3 players, cell phones, satellite radio, and personal organizers. Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS), the world's largest office products retailer, has the largest selection of digital photography products and a great selection of must-have technology gifts in stores and on Staples.com with free shipping.

"Digital imaging gifts such as digital cameras and portable photo printers are this year's must haves," said Dave Figler, vice president and divisional merchandise manager of technology for Staples. "The latest portable printers allow easy, high quality printing without a PC."

Capturing and Preserving Memories

According to the Staples survey, digital cameras were the number one electronic gift choice, chosen by nearly 30 percent of respondents. Staples offers an extensive assortment of digital cameras and everything needed to print and protect your memories. Digital cameras range from the Kodak EasyShare C330 ($159.98) with "point and shoot" simplicity and low-light performance to SLR cameras such as the Canon Digital Rebel XT ($999.98) with 8.0 mexapixels. Simply pop in the memory card directly to a new portable photo printer like the HP Photosmart 475 Photo Printer ($279.99) - no need for a PC - and print 35 mm lab-quality photos that resist fading for generations. The HP Photosmart is portable so holiday hosts can send guests home with photos in hand.

"Technology on the go is a key theme for this holiday season," said Figler. "Consumers want digital devices that make traveling easier and more fun."

Are We There Yet?

According to the Staples survey, 40 percent of respondents say a GPS system is the technology accessory Santa needs most to get his job done. GPS positioning systems such as the FineDrive 400 ($499), provide detailed maps as well as audio instructions to help guide travelers safely to their holiday destinations.

Travelers can stay in the holiday spirit by listening to favorite holiday tunes. Staples offers a range of MP3 players such as the Creative MuvoMix 512MB MP3 ($79.99) which holds over 120 songs and the Creative Zen 5G MP3 ($179.99) player which holds over 1200 songs. Staples also offers portable XM satellite radio receivers like the Delphi Roady 2 ($29.99), with over 150 digital XM channels coast-to-coast.

Staples Relay USB Flash Drives, exclusive to Staples, are an easy way to store and transfer data when away from a network and are a great way to maintain holiday digital photos. The Staples Relay USB Flash Drives come in three different storage capacities - $29.98 (256MB), $44.98 (512MB), and $88.98 (1G). The Palm LifeDrive Mobile Manager ($498.99) puts it all together by organizing your contacts, schedule, digital music, digital pictures even digital movies, plus it can double as a flash drive to transport files.

Keeping It Safe

Security is a big concern this holiday season - whether it's ensuring the preservation of treasured family photos or safeguarding Santa's "naughty" and "nice" list. To make certain holiday memories are saved for a lifetime, Staples exclusive Digital Photo Protection Kit ($48 value) is free with any digital camera purchase. It enables users to easily store photos on a secure online data center and allows easy backup of photos to a DVD or CD.

The Staples Medium-Duty Shredder ($69.99), available exclusively at Staples, can shred Santa's top-secret list or any other confidential documents such as bank statements, medical records and receipts. The shredder can even handle credit cards - especially handy after a long day at the mall.

For added security at home, Staples offers Easy Mobile Tech Service (starting at $99.99) to help install antivirus software or set up a new printer, computer or wireless network right in your home.

About the Staples 2005 Holiday Survey

The Staples 2005 Holiday Survey results are based on the responses of 1,018 adults age 18 to 54. The survey was conducted by International Communications Research (ICR) from October 28 - November 4, 2005. Additional findings include:

 -- 34 percent of those surveyed will take advantage of early bird

 specials at retail stores on Black Friday

 -- The price of gas will impact holiday shopping this year in the

 following ways:

 -- 73 percent of holiday shoppers will shop close to home

 -- 30 percent will carpool or use pubic transportation

 -- 26 percent will do more shopping online

 -- 39 percent will spend time during work hours shopping or doing

 holiday errands

 -- 40 percent will purchase gifts for work colleagues this

 holiday season

Complete survey findings are available by request.

About Staples

Staples, Inc. invented the office superstore concept in 1986 and today is the world's largest office products company. With 65,000 talented associates, the company is committed to making it easy to buy a wide range of office products, including supplies, technology, furniture, and business services. With 2004 sales of $14.4 billion, Staples serves consumers and businesses ranging from home-based businesses to Fortune 500 companies in 21 countries throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia. Headquartered outside of Boston, Staples operates approximately 1,750 office superstores and also serves its customers through mail order catalog, e-commerce and contract businesses. More information is available at www.staples.com.

Staples, Inc.

Deborah Hohler, 508-253-8509
Deborah.Hohler@staples.com
or
Weber Shandwick
Jennifer Signorini, 617-520-7069
Jennifer.Signorini@webershandwick.com