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Pension and Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plans | 9 Months Ended
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Oct. 27, 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 which Corporate Express sponsored. The pension plans cover certain employees in Europe and the U.S. 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 third quarter and year-to-date 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 third quarter and year-to-date 2012 and 2011 related to the plans (in thousands):
| 13 Weeks Ended October 27, 2012
| Pension Plans |  | Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plan Total
| U.S. Plans |  | International Plans |  | Total |
Service cost | $ | — |  |  | $ | 2,557 |  |  | $ | 2,557 |  |  | $ | 460 |
Interest cost | 443 |  |  | 9,339 |  |  | 9,782 |  |  | 385 |
Expected return on plan assets | (438 | ) |  | (12,520 | ) |  | (12,958 | ) |  | — |
Amortization of unrecognized losses and prior service costs | 83 |  |  | 1,301 |  |  | 1,384 |  |  | 429 |
Total cost | $ | 88 |  |  | $ | 677 |  |  | $ | 765 |  |  | $ | 1,274 |
| 13 Weeks Ended October 29, 2011
| Pension Plans |  | Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plan Total
| U.S. Plans |  | International Plans |  | Total |
Service cost | $ | — |  |  | $ | 2,404 |  |  | $ | 2,404 |  |  | $ | 473 |
Interest cost | 466 |  |  | 10,178 |  |  | 10,644 |  |  | 396 |
Expected return on plan assets | (422 | ) |  | (13,922 | ) |  | (14,344 | ) |  | — |
Amortization of unrecognized losses and prior service costs | — |  |  | 352 |  |  | 352 |  |  | 459 |
Total cost (benefit) | $ | 44 |  |  | $ | (988 | ) |  | $ | (944 | ) |  | $ | 1,328 |
| 39 Weeks Ended October 27, 2012
| Pension Plans |  | Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plan Total
| U.S. Plans |  | International Plans |  | Total |
Service cost | $ | — |  |  | $ | 7,736 |  |  | $ | 7,736 |  |  | $ | 1,380 |
Interest cost | 1,329 |  |  | 28,254 |  |  | 29,583 |  |  | 1,155 |
Expected return on plan assets | (1,313 | ) |  | (37,887 | ) |  | (39,200 | ) |  | — |
Amortization of unrecognized losses and prior service costs | 248 |  |  | 3,934 |  |  | 4,182 |  |  | 1,287 |
Total cost | $ | 264 |  |  | $ | 2,037 |  |  | $ | 2,301 |  |  | $ | 3,822 |
| 39 Weeks Ended October 29, 2011
| Pension Plans |  | Other Post-Retirement Benefit Plan Total
| U.S. Plans |  | International Plans |  | Total |
Service cost | $ | — |  |  | $ | 7,211 |  |  | $ | 7,211 |  |  | $ | 1,370 |
Interest cost | 1,398 |  |  | 30,536 |  |  | 31,934 |  |  | 1,148 |
Expected return on plan assets | (1,266 | ) |  | (41,768 | ) |  | (43,034 | ) |  | — |
Amortization of unrecognized losses and prior service costs | — |  |  | 1,056 |  |  | 1,056 |  |  | 1,331 |
Total cost (benefit) | $ | 132 |  |  | $ | (2,965 | ) |  | $ | (2,833 | ) |  | $ | 3,849 |
The total net cost disclosed above for the third quarter and year-to-date 2012 and 2011 associated with the pension plans reflects the total for both continuing and discontinued operations. The following table presents the net periodic cost recorded in the condensed consolidated statement of comprehensive income for the third quarter and year-to-date 2012 and 2011 related to discontinued operations pension plans only (in thousands):
| Discontinued Operations Pension Plans
| 13 Weeks Ended |  | 39 Weeks Ended
| October 27, 2012 |  | October 29, 2011 |  | October 27, 2012 |  | October 29, 2011
Service cost | $ | 587 |  |  | $ | 642 |  |  | $ | 1,777 |  |  | $ | 1,927 |
Interest cost | 467 |  |  | 489 |  |  | 1,414 |  |  | 1,466 |
Expected return on plan assets | (436 | ) |  | (494 | ) |  | (1,322 | ) |  | (1,483 | )
Amortization of unrecognized losses and prior service costs | 51 |  |  | 10 |  |  | 156 |  |  | 31 |
Total cost | $ | 669 |  |  | $ | 647 |  |  | $ | 2,025 |  |  | $ | 1,941 |
Cash contributions made to the pension plans during the third quarter and year-to-date 2012 and 2011 are as follows (in thousands):
| 13 Weeks Ended |  | 39 Weeks Ended
| October 27, 2012 |  | October 29, 2011 |  | October 27, 2012 |  | October 29, 2011
U.S. Pension Plans | $ | 324 |  |  | $ | 194 |  |  | $ | 921 |  |  | $ | 582 |
International Pension Plans | 3,099 |  |  | 1,321 |  |  | 12,323 |  |  | 5,291 |
Total | $ | 3,423 |  |  | $ | 1,515 |  |  | $ | 13,244 |  |  | $ | 5,873 |
The Company expects to make additional cash contributions of $0.4 million and $1.7 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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- Definition The entire disclosure for pension and other postretirement benefits. + References Reference 1: 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 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Staff Position (FSP) -Number FAS106-2 -Paragraph 20, 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 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Implementation Guide (Q and A) -Number FAS88 -Paragraph 63 -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 106 -Paragraph 518 -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 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2235017 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 132R -Paragraph 5, 6, 7, 8 -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 7: 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. Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 132R -Paragraph 8 -Subparagraph m -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 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 87 -Paragraph 264 -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 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB) -Number 30 -Paragraph 26 -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 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) -Number 03-2 -Paragraph 8 -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 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 132R -Paragraph 5 -Subparagraph h -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 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 132R -Paragraph 5 -Subparagraph a -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 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 132R -Paragraph 5 -Subparagraph q -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. + Details
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