Grand & Toy

Grand & Toy
FormerlyOfficeMax Grand & Toy (2013–2014)
Company typeSubsidiary
Founded1882 (1882)
FounderJames Grand
Headquarters
Toronto, Ontario
,
Canada
ProductsOffice supplies, technology, health & safety, furniture and interior services
Number of employees
1,100
ParentOfficeMax (1996–2013)
The ODP Corporation (2013–present)
Websitewww.grandandtoy.com

Grand & Toy is a Canadian B2B end-to-end supplier of office products and services, founded in 1882 by James Grand as a home-based stationery printing business. It is owned by The ODP Corporation, whose other brands include Office Depot and OfficeMax.

History

Grand & Toy was founded in 1882 by James Grand as a home-based stationery printing business.[1] A year later, Grand partnered with his brother-in-law, Samuel Toy, to open their first retail store.[2] In 1895, the business moved to a larger location and grew to have a staff of twelve.[3] Samuel Toy died in 1906, leaving James Grand in control of the company.[4] In 1912, Grand & Toy added an office furniture department, and four years later, the business added printing facilities and a bindery.[3] In 1921, Percy Grand took over the business following his father James's death.[4]

By 1982, when the company celebrated its centennial anniversary, Grand & Toy had 35 locations. In 1990, the Grand family sold Grand & Toy to Toronto-based Cara Operations.[3] In 1996, Grand & Toy was purchased by Boise Office Solutions, later renamed OfficeMax, a US-based international office supplies distributor, for US$104 million.[5] By 2013, the company had repositioned itself as an end-to-end provider of business solutions.[6]

In 2008, the company's distribution network, one of the largest in Canada, made 8.4 million deliveries.[7]

In early 2013, the company rebranded as "OfficeMax Grand & Toy", as part of an effort by its U.S. parent company to present a unified brand to customers across North America.[6] However, by the end of the year, OfficeMax had merged with U.S. competitor Office Depot.[8]

On 23 April 2014, OfficeMax Grand & Toy announced it would be focusing on online retail, which accounted for 97% of its sales.[9] The company closed its remaining 19 retail locations.[1][9]

In December 2014, the Canadian operation announced it would rebrand back to simply "Grand & Toy", explaining the reversal as an expression of "confidence in Grand & Toy's brand legacy and a strong commitment to its long-term success".[10]

In 2016, Grand & Toy and TerraCycle Canada announced a national retailer recycling program for office products. The program includes recycling for coffee capsules, office supplies, and computer accessories.[11]

In May 2021, Office Depot announced that it would be splitting into two companies: ODP and NewCo. NewCo will include Office Depot’s business solutions division and Grand & Toy.[12][13]

Corporate social responsibility

As of 2015, Grand & Toy's social responsibility efforts include waste and recycling programs,[11] green products and services,[14] thought leadership and business insights,[15] and transportation efficiency.[16]

References

  1. ^ a b "Grand & Toy To Close All 19 Retail Stores". The Huffington Post. April 24, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  2. ^ "Grand & Toy: Corporate History". Retrieved 2006-07-05.
  3. ^ a b c "Grand & Toy celebrates 115 years: From hand-drawn wagons to computers: Office supplies company has adapted to changing times". strategy. 1997-04-17. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  4. ^ a b Comeau, Gayle M. (2005). "GRAND, JAMES". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  5. ^ "Boise Cascade Corp: 10K Annual Report". Archived from the original on 2006-10-30. Retrieved 2006-07-05.
  6. ^ a b Laird, Kristin (2013-05-07). "GRAND & TOY JUMPS UP REPUTATION RANKINGS, REBRANDS TO THE MAX". Marketing. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
  7. ^ "Supply Chain Sustainability: What a Difference a Day Makes". Inbound Logistics. Retrieved 2021-09-02.
  8. ^ Dhanya Skariachan (5 November 2013). "Office Depot closes deal to buy OfficeMax". Reuters.
  9. ^ a b "OfficeMax Grand & Toy to close retail stores as business customers shift to growing e-commerce and direct sales channels". Canada NewsWire. 23 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  10. ^ Grand & Toy (2014-12-08). "Grand & Toy Renews its Brand with a Nod to its Iconic Heritage". Archived from the original on 2016-01-11. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
  11. ^ a b Mike Hower (2015-01-23). "Grand & Toy, TerraCycle Launch National Office Products Recycling Program". Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  12. ^ "Office Depot owner ODP to spin off its distribution platform into a separate company". CNBC. 2021-05-05. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  13. ^ "Office Depot Will Split Consumer, B2B Businesses into Two Independent Companies". Retail TouchPoints. 2021-05-06. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  14. ^ Harmeet Singh (2015-04-06). "Grand & Toy's new shades". Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  15. ^ COPA (2015-04-30). "University students consider environmental track record when choosing an employer". Retrieved 2015-06-14.
  16. ^ Grand & Toy (2015-06-14). "Transportation Efficiency". Retrieved 2015-06-14.
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