Office supply company Staples Inc. is based in the United States. Through retail channels and business-to-business (B2B) delivery services, it primarily provides office supplies and related products. In some places, Staples additionally provides a copy and printing service. On May 1, 1986, the company opened its first store in Brighton, Massachusetts. In 1996, it became a Fortune 500 company. It later acquired the office supplies company Quill Corporation. In 2014, Staples began to close some of its locations due to increased competition from e-commerce marketplaces. In 2015, Staples announced its intent to acquire Office Depot and OfficeMax. However, the purchase was blocked due to antitrust grounds that would result from the consolidation. After the failed acquisition, Staples started to refocus its operations to de-emphasize its brick-and-mortar outlets and give more prominence to its B2B supply business. In 2017, after its sale to Sycamore Partners, the company was effectively split into three 'independently managed and capitalized' entities using the Staples name, separating its U.S. retail operations from its Canadian retail operations, and the B2B business.