v2.4.0.6

Equity Based Employee Benefit Plans (Tables) | 6 Months Ended
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Jul. 28, 2012
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items] |
Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units Activity [Table Text Block] | The following table summarizes activity related to nonqualified stock options and Restricted Shares in the first half of 2012:
|  | Nonqualified Stock Options |  | Restricted Shares (1)
|  | Number of Shares |  | Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share |  | Number of Shares |  | Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share
Outstanding at January 28, 2012 |  | 45,995,348 |  |  | $ | 19.89 |  |  | 16,799,262 |  |  | $ | 18.13 |
Granted |  | 2,478,921 |  |  | 13.03 |  |  | 4,548,772 |  |  | 13.13 |
Exercised/Released |  | (1,462,782 | ) |  | 11.43 |  |  | (5,188,156 | ) |  | 20.11 |
Canceled |  | (2,210,790 | ) |  | 19.87 |  |  | (1,318,571 | ) |  | 20.13 |
Outstanding at July 28, 2012 |  | 44,800,697 |  |  | $ | 19.79 |  |  | 14,841,307 |  |  | $ | 15.73 |
Exercisable at July 28, 2012 |  | 34,908,337 |  |  | $ | 20.72 |  |  |  |  |
Vested or expected to vest at July 28, 2012 |  | 43,790,123 |  |  | $ | 19.85 |  |  |  |  |
(1) | Restricted Shares do not include 0.5 million special performance and retention shares ("Performance Shares") which Staples granted to certain employees in 2010 with a fair market value of $19.27 per share. Performance Shares are awards under which restricted stock is issued only if the Company meets minimum performance targets. The fair value of Performance Shares is based upon the market price of the underlying common stock as of the date of grant.

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- Definition Disclosure of the number and weighted-average grant date fair value for restricted stock and restricted stock units that were outstanding at the beginning and end of the year, and the number of restricted stock and restricted stock units that were granted, vested, or forfeited during the year. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Details
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