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                                                                   Exhibit 5.1

                                   Hale and Dorr
                                  60 State Street
                                 Boston, MA  02109
                                  (617) 526-6000




                                         October 18, 1996

Staples, Inc.
One Research Drive
Westborough, MA 01581

Ladies and Gentlemen:

    We have assisted in the preparation of the Registration Statement on Form 
S-3 (the "Registration Statement") filed with the Securities and Exchange 
Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, relating to the 
registration of 189,514 shares of common stock, $0.0006 par value per share 
(the "Shares"), of Staples, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), 
held by certain selling stockholders of the Company.

    We have examined the Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws of the 
Company and all amendments thereto and have examined and relied on the 
originals, or copies certified to our satisfaction, of such records of 
meetings, written actions in lieu of meetings, or resolutions adopted at 
meetings, of the directors of the Company and such other documents and 
instruments as in our judgment are necessary or appropriate to enable us to 
render the opinions expressed below.

    In our examination of the foregoing documents, we have assumed (i) the 
genuineness of all signatures and the authenticity of all documents submitted 
to us as originals, (ii) the conformity to the originals of all documents 
submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies, and (iii) the 
authenticity of the originals of the latter documents.

    Based upon and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the 
Shares have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid 
and non-assessable.

    We hereby consent to the use of our name in the Registration Statement 
and in the related Prospectus under the caption "Legal Matters" and to the 
filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.


                                         Very truly yours,


                                         /s/ Hale and Dorr

                                         HALE AND DORR

