Staples, Inc. Commences Cash Tender Offer for Corporate Express U.S.Finance Inc.´s Senior Subordinated Notes Due2014 and 2015

Staples, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLS) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Staples

Acquisition B.V., today announced that Staples Acquisition B.V. has

commenced a cash tender offer to purchase all of Corporate Express U.S.

Finance Inc.´s (formerly known as Buhrmann U.S. Inc.) outstanding 8.25

percent Senior Subordinated Notes due July 1, 2014 (the "2014 Notes")

and 7.875 percent Senior Subordinated Notes due March 1, 2015 (the "2015

Notes"), on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in its

Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation Statement, dated May 22, 2008

and the related Consent and Letter of Transmittal. The tender offer is being conducted in connection with Staples

Acquisition B.V.´s previously announced equity

tender offer to purchase all of the outstanding ordinary shares and

American depositary shares of Corporate Express N.V., the parent of

Corporate Express U.S. Finance Inc., for EUR 8.00 per share in cash. The

previously announced tender offer also includes an all cash offer for

the Corporate Express N.V. preference shares A for EUR 3.15 per share

and subordinated convertible bonds due 2010 for EUR 1,164.72 per bond. In conjunction with the tender offer, Staples Acquisition B.V. is also

seeking consents to proposed amendments to certain provisions of the

indentures governing the 2014 Notes and the 2015 Notes. The purpose of

the proposed amendments is to eliminate most of the restrictive

covenants, certain of the event of default provisions and certain other

provisions in each indenture. Holders who desire to tender their Notes must consent to the proposed

amendments, and holders may not deliver consents without tendering the

related Notes. The tender offer is conditioned upon, among other things

the receipt of consents from the holders of a majority of the aggregate

outstanding principal amount of each series of Notes and satisfaction of

the conditions to the equity tender offer. The consent period will expire at 5:00 p.m. EDT on June 5, 2008 (the "Consent

Date") unless extended by Staples

Acquisition B.V. The tender offer will expire at 11:59 p.m. EDT on June

27, 2008 (the "Expiration Date")

unless extended or terminated earlier. Staples Acquisition B.V. reserves

the right to extend, amend or terminate the tender offer and consent

solicitation at any time. Notes and related consents may be withdrawn up

to the Consent Date, but not thereafter. Notes tendered and related

consents delivered after the Consent Date may not be withdrawn or

revoked. Holders who validly tender and do not withdraw Notes and validly deliver

and do not revoke consents prior to the Consent Date are eligible to

receive the total consideration, which includes a consent payment of

$30.00 per $1,000 principal amount of Notes tendered. Holders who

validly tender Notes after the Consent Date, but on or prior to the

Expiration Date, will receive the tender offer consideration, which is

the total consideration less the consent payment. In addition, holders

who tender and do not withdraw their Notes in the tender offer will

receive accrued and unpaid interest from the last interest payment date

up to, but not including, the date payment is made for the Notes. The total consideration for the Notes tendered and accepted for purchase

pursuant to the tender offer will be determined as specified in the

tender offer documents, on the basis of a yield to the first redemption

date for the Notes equal to the sum of (i) the yield (based on the bid

side price) of the 4.875 percent U.S. Treasury Note due June 30, 2009

for the 2014 Notes, and 2.000 percent U.S. Treasury Note due February

28, 2010, for the 2015 Notes, as calculated by Lehman Brothers Inc. in

accordance with standard market practice on the price determination

date, as described in the tender offer documents, plus (ii) a fixed

spread of 50 basis points. Lehman Brothers Inc. is acting as dealer manager for the tender offer

and as solicitation agent for the consent solicitation. Questions about

the tender offer or the consent solicitation may be directed to Lehman

Brothers Inc. at 1-800-438-3242 (toll free) or 1-212-528-7581 (collect).

Requests for copies of the related documents may be directed to

Georgeson, which has been appointed as the information agent for the

tender offer and consent solicitation, at 1-866-201-4446 (toll free). About Staples Staples, Inc. invented the office superstore concept in 1986 and today

is the world´s largest office products company. With 76,000 talented

associates, the company is committed to making it easy to buy a wide

range of office products, including supplies, technology, furniture, and

business services. With 2007 sales of USD 19.4 billion, Staples serves

consumers and businesses ranging from home-based businesses to Fortune

500 companies in 22 countries throughout North and South America, Europe

and Asia. Headquartered outside of Boston, Staples operates more than

2,000 office superstores and also serves its customers through mail

order catalog, e-commerce and contract businesses. More information is

available at www.staples.com. Certain information contained in this news release may constitute

forward-looking statements for the purposes of the safe harbor

provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

including but not limited to the statements as to Staples´ intentions

with respect to the offer to acquire Corporate Express. Actual future

events may differ materially from those indicated by such

forward-looking statements as a result of risks and uncertainties

including but not limited to the fact that the offer made by Staples or

any other acquisition of Corporate Express will be consummated and those

other factors discussed or referenced in our most recent annual reports

on Form 10-K filed with the SEC, under the heading "Risk Factors" and

elsewhere, and any subsequent periodic reports filed by us with the SEC.

In addition, any forward-looking statements represent our estimates only

as of today and should not be relied upon as representing our estimates

as of any subsequent date. While we may elect to update forward-looking

statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any

obligation to do so, even if our estimates change. Important Legal Information This press release is provided for informational purposes only and is

neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any

securities of Corporate Express U.S. Finance Inc. Any offers to purchase

or solicitation of offers to sell Corporate Express U.S. Finance Inc.

notes will be made only pursuant to the Offer to Purchase and Consent

Solicitation Statement. Corporate Express U.S. Finance Inc. noteholders

are advised to read the Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation

Statement, the related Consent and Letter of Transmittal and any other

documents relating to the tender offer and consent solicitation in their

entirety when they are distributed because they will contain important

information. Corporate Express U.S. Finance Inc. noteholders may obtain

copies of these documents for free (when they become available) by

calling Georgeson, the information agent for the offer, at

1-866-201-4446 (toll free).