PBS Holding acquired Staples’ Global Accounts Business effective 19 February 2021.
Over the past three years, Staples Solutions‘ strategy has been to move closer to the customer and reduce its organisational complexity. Its strategy to localise its business included moving most support functions from the centre to the countries, where customers are served.
In line with that strategy, last year Staples concluded to divest the last remaining centralised business at Staples Solutions, ie its GAT or International Contract Business.
PBS said it sees the GAT business as an opportunity to continue growing its direct-to-customer business.
PBS is one of the leading office supplies distributors and resellers in Central and Eastern Europe. Local sales and logistics teams across eight countries take care of more than 200,000 customers. More than 1,400 employees generate annual revenue of €330 million ($363 million) in 2020. PBS is multi-channel, which means taking a leading role in Wholesale and Direct channels in the respective countries.
The entire Staples Solutions Global Accounts Team under leadership of Ian Kirton will transfer to PBS with the sale, along with a number of key local account managers. The sale of the GAT (Global Accounts) Business to PBS was concluded on 19 February 2021.
