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Pension and Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plans | 3 Months Ended
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Apr. 28, 2012
Pension and Other Post Retirement Benefit Plans Disclosure [Abstract] |
Pension and Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plans | Pension and Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plans In connection with the acquisition of Corporate Express, Staples assumed the obligations under the defined benefit pension plans Corporate Express sponsored. The pension plans cover certain employees in Europe and the United States. The benefits due to U.S. plan participants are frozen. A number of the defined benefit plans outside the U.S. are funded with plan assets that have been segregated in trusts. Contributions are made to these trusts, as necessary, to meet legal and other requirements. In August 2010, the Company began sponsoring an unfunded post-retirement life insurance benefit plan, which provides benefits to eligible U.S. executives based on earnings, years of service and age at termination of employment. The total net cost recognized for the first quarter of 2012 and 2011 associated with the pension and other post-retirement benefit plans is based upon preliminary estimates pending the final actuarial determination of such costs. The following table presents a summary of the total net periodic cost recorded in the condensed consolidated statement of comprehensive income for the first quarter of 2012 and 2011 related to the plans (in thousands):
| 13 Weeks Ended April 28, 2012
| Pension Plans |  | Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plan Total
| U.S. Plans |  | International Plans |  | Total |
Service cost | $ | — |  |  | $ | 2,648 |  |  | $ | 2,648 |  |  | $ | 460 |
Interest cost | 443 |  |  | 9,668 |  |  | 10,111 |  |  | 385 |
Expected return on plan assets | (438 | ) |  | (12,968 | ) |  | (13,406 | ) |  | — |
Amortization of unrecognized losses and prior service costs | 83 |  |  | 1,345 |  |  | 1,428 |  |  | 429 |
Total cost | $ | 88 |  |  | $ | 693 |  |  | $ | 781 |  |  | $ | 1,274 |
| 13 Weeks Ended April 30, 2011
| Pension Plans |  | Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plan Total
| U.S. Plans |  | International Plans |  | Total |
Service cost | $ | — |  |  | $ | 2,403 |  |  | $ | 2,403 |  |  | $ | 454 |
Interest cost | 466 |  |  | 10,179 |  |  | 10,645 |  |  | 380 |
Expected return on plan assets | (422 | ) |  | (13,923 | ) |  | (14,345 | ) |  | — |
Amortization of unrecognized losses and prior service costs | — |  |  | 352 |  |  | 352 |  |  | 441 |
Total cost (benefit) | $ | 44 |  |  | $ | (989 | ) |  | $ | (945 | ) |  | $ | 1,275 |
Cash contributions made to the pension plans during the first quarter of 2012 and 2011 are as follows (in thousands):
| 13 Weeks Ended
| April 28, 2012 |  | April 30, 2011
U.S. Pension Plans | $ | 254 |  |  | $ | 194 |
International Pension Plans | 7,561 |  |  | 1,905 |
Total | $ | 7,815 |  |  | $ | 2,099 |
The Company expects to make additional cash contributions of $1.1 million and $6.0 million to the U.S. Pension Plans and International Pension Plans, respectively, during the remainder of fiscal year 2012. No cash contributions are expected to be made during 2012 to the Company’s other post-retirement benefit plans.

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Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 158 -Paragraph 7, 21, 22 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 132R -Paragraph 5 -Subparagraph b -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. 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