The Staples location in Howell was the place to go for back-to-school supplies for a generation of Lakewood students. But all good things must come to an end at some point. Staples announced it will permanently close its Howell store on October 3.
The closure will leave Freehold and Brick as the nearest Staples locations for area shoppers.
The Howell Staples served as a one-stop shop for everything from last-minute school projects to printing jobs and office supplies. The store had also provided a convenient drop-off point for shipping and package services. In its absence, Kohl’s locations in the area have resumed accepting Amazon returns, offering an alternative for customers who once relied on Staples for that service.
Staples has closed multiple stores nationwide in recent years as part of an ongoing restructuring of its brick-and-mortar operations. The company has not said whether additional New Jersey closures are planned before the end of the year, but the Howell shutdown highlights the continued contraction of traditional office supply chains.
toms river has a location a little closer than Freehold