Ah, the power of love. I can see the guest list now: Cheap ring binders, cheap laser labels, cheap bubble mailers, cheap spiral bound graph paper notebook,-

Wait, what? Who’s getting married?

Office Depot and Staples, of course.

As if the big guys couldn’t get big enough, Office Depot has finally accepted a $6.3 billion proposal from Staples, agreeing to merge their two businesses. (Staples Depot? Office Staples? Depot for Office Staples?) With millennials alone planning to spend $913 million of their own money on school supplies, this could be a big deal for the truly organized. (Or at least the spatially picky. At least 57% of Americans admit to harboring judgment about their messy coworker’s spaces.)

So what does this mean for the little guy? These big franchise companies merging means that their customers can expect twice the administrative red tape between them and their office supply/printing needs. If you’ve ever been to either of these stores, you know what it’s like to try and get a human customer interaction out of anyone. “Call this number,” “visit this website,” “don’t take the left tunnel, it leads right to the mine-shaft,” etc.

It might be a good time to consider looking locally for a business that can easier address your individual needs. The next time you’re looking for a laser label or a bubble mailer, check out what kind of small businesses are near you. Paying additional support to the real humans at work can ensure that you’ll receive that kind of support in kind. Nobody wants to feel like they aren’t important, and frankly, I didn’t get an invite to the Staple Depot wedding. (Though if I did, I would have brought them a lovely bouquet of shredded magazines.) Helpful research also found here.