Staples plans to close another 70 stores

Staples plans to close another 70 stores in North America this year, as total company sales fell 2.8 percent and total comparable store sales were down 7 percent for fiscal 2016.

Based in Framingham, Massachusetts, the office supplies retailer closed 48 stores in 2016 and 242 in the previous two years, leaving it with 1,255 U.S. stores and another 304 Canadian outlets at the beginning of this year.

The company has not specified which stores are on the chopping block. Staples”™ Fairfield County locations include Danbury, Fairfield, Greenwich, Norwalk, Shelton, and Stamford, while its Westchester presence includes stores in Elmsford, Larchmont, Port Chester, Scarsdale, White Plains and Yonkers.

Staples”™ attempt to acquire competing chain Office Depot for $6 billion last year was blocked by a federal judge over antitrust concerns.