Staples to Open on Springfield Avenue in May

The rumors are true: Staples is coming to town. The stand-alone Staples Copy and Print Center will be moving in to 408 Springfield Ave. in May.

The Copy and Print Centers bill themselves as small business hubs. In addition to their high-speed color and black-and-white print services, they offer products and services such as banners, signs and pamphlets, and document binding. They have fax capabilities and wireless internet workstations for the busy small business owner waiting for that important e-mail while printing 100 brochures.

According to Staples, a town like Summit is just the sort of location that can benefit from their Copy and Print Centers.

"What we look for is a location that has a high concentration of small businesses and a market that needs this high quality service," said Staples Public Relations Director Amy Shanler. "It's really all about small businesses."

Previously at 408 Springfield was a branch of the Washington Mutual bank. But in September 2008, WaMu merged with JP Morgan Chase. Summit already has a Chase branch on Summit Ave, so the Summit branch, along with 300 other Washington Mutual branches, was closed soon after.  

But now the storefront will see new life. Expect to see activity as workers prepare the Copy and Print Center for its targeted May opening.

Summit already has a FedEx Office and a UPS Store, but they seem to be more focused on shipping than on work centers. The impact of Staples on the other two stores will probably be minimal, although they do share some of the same services.

"It's a fantastic edition to Summit," said Eric Model, proprietor of Seal and Co. next door and manager of the 408 Springfield property. "Alpha Graphics is leaving, so Staples will fill a void."

Model is referring to the full-service printer whose departure was announced earlier this month . Staples Copy and Print Centers perform many of the same services as Alpha Graphics, so small business owners need only hold out until May.