PC LOAD LETTER: Why office-supply stores are the seventh circle of hell

Office supply stores are places that nobody feels nostalgic about. Everyone should hate them. Here’s why.

By Ernie Smith

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It was one of about a million things hidden in the so-called Cromnibus bill that passed late last year. But it’s something that reflects a big change in the nature of how offices everywhere get stuff done.

Last year, the Government Printing Office got rid of a name that dated back to the Civil War — and became the Government Publishing Office. When the federal government is downplaying its usage of paper and trying to push stuff on the cloud, you know office supply stores are in trouble — and that they are. This week, Office Depot and Staples announced that they would attempt to merge in a $6.3 billion deal, creating a company that sells a lot of … uh, pens. It’s not a sexy business, but someone’s gotta…