If you’re in the market for office supplies, Quill and Staples are two major retailers you’ll likely consider. Both offer a wide selection of products for your business or home office.
But which one is better for your needs? This comprehensive guide examines the key differences between Quill and Staples to help you decide.
A Brief Comparison Table:
| Category | Quill | Staples |
| Product Selection | 45,000+ products, more niche industrial supplies | 100,000+ products, broader range |
| Pricing | Competitive prices, large volume discounts | Low prices, frequent sales and promos |
| Shopping Experience | Dated website, personalized for large businesses | User-friendly site and app, convenient |
| Delivery & Pickup | Fast shipping, limited pickup options | Free next-day delivery, in-store & curbside pickup |
| Business Services | Tailored for medium & large corporations | Good for small businesses & individuals |
| Specialization | Focused on workplace items | Serves both businesses and consumers |
| Sustainability | Limited environmental initiatives | Making strides but could improve more |
Overview Of Quill
Founded in 1956, Quill originally started out as a mail order supplier of office products. It wasn’t until 1998 that Quill launched its website Quill.com to sell office supplies online.
Now owned by Staples, Quill focuses on providing a more specialized selection of business and industrial supplies for medium to large-sized companies.
Some of the key benefits of Quill include:
- Wide selection of niche business supplies – From facilities products to breakroom essentials, Quill stocks many harder-to-find items that typical retailers may not carry.
- Competitive pricing – Their prices are generally in line with or lower than other major online retailers. Quill also frequently offers coupons and discounts.
- Fast shipping – Quill provides quick delivery with most orders processed within 24 hours.
- Account management – Larger organizations can take advantage of dedicated account reps for personalized service.
While Quill meets the needs of many businesses, some downsides are:
- Website isn’t as user-friendly – The Quill website feels outdated and can be tricky to navigate at times.
- Limited physical retail presence – With only a handful of showrooms, Quill lacks local brick-and-mortar stores.
- Fewer options for individuals – Quill caters more towards supplying companies rather than individual consumers.
Overview Of Staples
Founded in 1986, Staples changed the game by providing convenient one-stop shopping for office essentials. Today, Staples remains one of the leading suppliers of office products in the US with both a robust e-commerce site and over 1,000 retail locations nationwide.
Some of the most appealing features of Staples are:
- Huge assortment of products – From basic supplies like paper and pens to furniture and technology, Staples has an unbeatable selection. They offer over 100,000 products.
- Easy shopping experience – The Staples website and mobile app make finding what you need intuitive. In-store shopping is efficient.
- Flexible delivery and pickup – Choose from delivery, buy online pickup in store, curbside pickup, and more.
- Affordable pricing – Staples offers competitive pricing and frequent sales both online and in stores.
- Extensive services – Copy & print, custom business products, tech support, and more services are available.
Potential downsides of shopping with Staples:
- Less specialized inventory – Selection emphasizes general office supplies rather than niche industrial products.
- More consumer focused – Staples deals with significantly more individual/home office shoppers than Quill. This means less tailored business services.
- Pressure for store credit cards – Associates can be pushy about signing you up for high-interest store credit cards.
Quill Vs. Staples: Key Feature Comparison
Now let’s directly stack up Quill and Staples across some of the most important factors for shoppers:
- Product Selection
While both retailers offer a huge range of office items, Staples has the edge in terms of sheer variety with over 100,000 products. Quill’s selection tops out around 45,000.
However, Quill offers a wider range of harder-to-find business and industrial items than Staples. So Quill likely has those niche items your office depends on, while Staples gives you more choice overall.
- Pricing and Discounts
Staples is more aggressively priced on common office supplies like paper, pens, ink, etc. They run more frequent promotions both online and in stores.
Quill pricing is competitive but doesn’t have the rock-bottom prices of Staples doorbusters. Quill makes up for it by offering bigger volume discounts for bulk orders.
- Shopping Experience
Staples excels at convenience with an easy-to-use website, excellent mobile app, and retail stores for grabbing supplies quickly. Quill’s site feels more dated and clunky by comparison.
However, Quill provides a more personalized experience for large companies through dedicated account managers. At Staples, individual employees act as their own reps.
- Delivery and Pickup Options
Staples gives you maximum flexibility for getting your order rapidly through free next-day delivery on qualifying orders, buy online pickup in store, curbside pickup, and third party same day delivery via Instacart.
Quill also offers quick shipping times but has far fewer pickup or same-day options since they lack local retail stores.
- Business Services
Staples provides a solid set of services like printing, shredding, tech support, graphic design, and shipping with UPS and FedEx. However, these cater more to smaller businesses and individuals.
Quill offers services focused on medium to large corporations like bulk document management, custom branded products, and comprehensive facilities support.
- Specialization
Quill zeroes in on business customers with a product assortment tailored specifically to workplace needs from break room items to cleaning supplies. They offer more industry-specific items.
Staples serves both individuals and businesses. Their wider range has great variety but less specialization towards any single customer type outside of education.
- Sustainability
Staples has made recent strides when it comes to environmental responsibility. They work with suppliers to reduce packaging waste, recycle old tech and furniture, and incentivize eco-friendly product choices.
Quill lags behind Staples in sustainability practices. They don’t publish any comprehensive environmental goals and have limited green products.
Also Read: Comparison Between Grainger And Uline.
Quill Vs. Staples: Which Should You Choose?
When choosing between Quill and Staples, there are a few key factors to consider:
- For small businesses on a budget, Staples is likely the better option with rock-bottom pricing, great convenience, and solid business services. Ordering basics like paper, pens, and tech supplies is easy.
- Larger organizations with more specialized needs benefit from Quill’s niche inventory, volume discounts, and tailored business programs. But the website experience leaves something to be desired.
- Individuals and home offices are almost always better served by Staples’ combination of selection, affordability, and shopping ease. Quill simply doesn’t cater as much to non-business customers.
- If you highly value environmental sustainability, Staples has shown more commitment even though there’s still room for improvement.
Think carefully about what you require when deciding where to spend your office supply budget. Analyze how each retailer stacks up for your situation. In many cases, there may not be one perfect choice, so a combination could work well.
Staples carries a wider range of reasonably priced common essentials for businesses and home users. Quill provides specialized workplace inventory that’s more difficult to find elsewhere.
Evaluating your unique needs makes it easier to determine if Quill or Staples is the best fit.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Quill and Staples are separate companies. However, Quill is fully owned by Staples after being acquired in 1998. So while the brands have distinct histories and product mixes, they are now considered affiliated companies.
Yes, Quill is considered a subsidiary brand of Staples Inc. even though it operates under its own name. Staples owns Quill and its assets but maintains Quill’s specialized workplace identity.
Quill is a legitimate website with authentic products. However, the shopping experience on Quill.com tends to be inferior compared to large rivals like Staples. The site can feel outdated, cluttered, and tricky to navigate. But it does offer good prices on harder-to-find business items.
Some of the top alternatives that offer similar types of workplace-focused office supplies as Quill include Uline, W.B. Mason, Office Depot, and Essendant’s BSS and S.P. Richards brands. However, none provide an exact match for Quill’s mix of niche business inventory and bulk ordering options.
Also Read: Choose Between Bankers Box 799 And 703.
The Bottom Line
When it comes to buying essentials for your workplace or home office, both Quill and Staples have appealing attributes. Make sure to think about your specific needs to decide if either retailer’s strengths provide the right fit or if mixing and matching makes the most sense for your situation.
Consider ordering a few test items from each to determine the overall shopping experience and product quality that works best for your office.