5 Things: Staples to Close 40 Stores in 2013, Police to Crackdown on Distracted Driving & More

For more town news and instant updates on stories like this, follow Foxborough Patch on Facebook and Twitter, or sign-up for our e-mail newsletter. 

1. Expect a Mostly Sunny Wednesday with a High Near 74 in Foxborough

Today’s weather in Foxborough, according to the National Weather Service based in Taunton, calls for mostly sunny, with a high near 74. Light and variable wind becoming southwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Wednesday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. South wind 3 to 7 mph.

2. Staples to Close 40 Stores in 2013

Note: The following was written by Framingham Patch Editor Susan Petroni.

Framingham-based Staples plans to close 40 stores in 2013, reported the Boston Business Journal.

During a call with analysts, Staples reported quarterly profits fell 9.2 percent amid soft demand for computers in North America and weak international sales.

Staples, headquartered in Framingham, started 2013 with 1,886 stores in the United States and Canada, including one in Foxborough, located at Patriot Place.

Staples, the largest office-supply chain in the U.S., has sought to trim costs by cutting jobs in Europe and reduce its North American retail space, reported the Wall Street Journal.

"I think when I look at our two biggest challenges, we've got to get the top line growing again and I think we've got to improve our results in international," Chairman and Chief Executive Ronald Sargent said during the conference call.

Sargent said in deciding to close a store the profitability of a particular store isn’t the only factor used. He said the company looks at what kind of benefit nearby Staples stores would see if one store closed.

Demos Parneros, the head of Staples’ North American operation, said there are about 750 to 800 stores with leases coming up for renewal within the next three years, reported the BBJ.

“It really comes down to a deal-by-deal situation,” Parneros told analysts on the call. “And if it really makes sense to pull the trigger and close the store, we’ve been aggressive in doing that if it makes sense for us. If we feel like the store’s profitability is good enough and even with risk for the next few years, it’s fine. We renew on a very short-term basis and we’ve been successful in doing so.”

Staples said sales of tablets and break-room supplies strengthened.

Sargent said the North American economy was improving at a "glacially slow" pace.

In Europe, where unemployment remains high, Sargent doesn't see a recovery until at least 2014, he told the Wall Street Journal.

The company's online business was a bright spot, with sales for that segment rising 3 percent.

Online sales have benefited from new product offerings, as Staples has added over 90,000 new items online over the past year.

3. State Receives Grant Money to Increase Enforcement of Massachusetts Safe Driving Law

Massachusetts has been awarded $275,000 in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) federal grant funds to increase enforcement of the Massachusetts Safe Driving Law which bans the sending, typing or reading of electronic messages to or from handheld devices while operating a motor vehicle and a complete ban on the use of all handheld electronic devices by junior operators while behind the wheel. 

This pilot project, called “Text With One Hand, Ticket In The Other” will give Massachusetts State Police (MSP) the ability to test the high-visibility enforcement (HVE) model and effectively observe distracted driver behaviors through proven enforcement strategies.  The Safe Driving Law signed by Governor Patrick became effective on Sept. 30, 2010. 

The specialized enforcement will take place in two to four week intervals over the next two years. The first installment will occur from June 10 to June 29 on state roadways in the 12 communities covered by MSP Troop A-1: Andover, Dracut, Dunstable, Lawrence, Lowell, Methuen, North Andover, North Reading, Reading, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro and Wilmington.

State officials from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS), MSP, and NHTSA are scheduled to gather Wednesday at Troop A-1 headquarters in Andover to discuss this vitally important public safety law and the hope for this national pilot project.

A recent National Safety Council study has shown that nationwide, 24 percent of all crashes are related to the use of handheld electronic devices while driving.  

4. Patriot Place Events

Here’s a look at what’s happening around Patriot Place today:

• 4 p.m. - Spring Fever - Animal Adventures: Experience an amazing animal program that is both fun and educational presented by an expert "Adventure Guide." Meet the animals, hear interesting stories and ask questions.

5. Boyden Library Board of Trustees Meet to Discuss Sculpture Proposal

The Boyden Library Board of Trustees will meet Wednesday at the Law Offices of Jeff Lovely (6 Railroad Ave.) at 6:45 p.m. to discuss the following business:

• Approval of one-day liquor license for Capital Campaign event on June 20th
• Discussion of schedule for library closure and move
• Peter Diepenbrock sculpture proposal