Office Depot Named to the 2004 ``Companies That Care'' Honor Roll.

Business Editors

DELRAY BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 8, 2004

For the first time, Office Depot, Inc., (NYSE:ODP), one of the world's largest resellers of office products, has been named to the 2004 "Companies That Care" Honor Roll. The Honor Roll was created two

The "Companies That Care" Honor Roll recognizes organizations that demonstrate outstanding and measurable commitment to their communities, both within the workplace and beyond. Office Depot was one of twelve companies honored this year.

"When I became CEO in July 2000, one of my first objectives was to build a culture in which each member of the Office Depot family would be treated with dignity and respect," said Bruce Nelson, Chairman and CEO of Office Depot. "We are delighted to be recognized for this effort as we continue to expand our commitment to 'Caring and Making a Difference' in the communities where we live and work."

To be considered for the Honor Roll, applicants must undergo a rigorous evaluation process conducted by an independent panel of business and academic professionals. According to the Center for Companies That Care, each company on the Honor Roll demonstrates the following characteristics:

-- Sustains a work environment founded on dignity and respect for

all employees

-- Makes employees feel their jobs are important

-- Cultivates the full potential of all employees

-- Encourages individual pursuit of work/life balance

-- Enables the well-being of individuals and their families

through compensation, benefits, policies and practices

-- Develops great bosses who excel at managing people as well as

results

-- Appreciates and recognize the contributions of people who work

there

-- Establishes and communicate standards for ethical behavior and

integrity

-- Gets involved in community endeavors and/or public policy

-- Considers the human toll when making business decisions.

According to Marci Koblenz, President and Founder of Companies That Care, a company that cares is one that sees creating a positive work environment for employees and being an active corporate citizen as integral components of their identity. And their day-to-day business practices clearly reflect those priorities.

"We salute Office Depot's particular strengths in cultivating the full potential of all employees as well as their deep commitment to letting employees know their contributions internally and externally are recognized and appreciated," Koblenz said.

About Office Depot

With annual sales of more than $12 billion, no one sells more office supplies to more customers in more countries than Office Depot. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Delray Beach, FL, the company conducts business in 23 countries and employs nearly 50,000 people worldwide.

Office Depot is an industry leader in every distribution channel - from retail stores and contract delivery to catalogs and e-commerce. The company is the world's number two online retailer - on target to generate $2.6B in sales for FY'03. In North America, Office Depot has more than 900 retail stores in addition to a national business-to-business delivery network supported by 22 delivery centers, more than 60 local sales offices and 13 regional call centers.

Recently, Office Depot was recognized in BusinessWeek as the country's 11th most generous in-kind giver as a percentage of revenues.

The company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP and is included in the S&P 500 Index. Additional press information can be found at: http://mediarelations.officedepot.com.

About Center for Companies That Care

Dedicated to supporting people today, sustaining society tomorrow, Center for Companies That Care, a national not-for-profit organization, encourages, celebrates and sustains organizations that prize their employees and are committed to on-going community service.

Organizations of any size or industry that consistently adhere to the 10 Characteristics of caring companies are recognized by the Center for Companies That Care on its annual Honor Roll. The Center also sponsors the annual Companies That Care Day, celebrated on the third Thursday in March, when employers across the country expand their initiatives to strengthen employees and communities. The Companies That Care Exchange, designed to bring companies together to share best practices and collaborate on programs to benefit communities, is available to all employers nationally who want to promote the well-being of their employees and local communities.

Additional information about Center for Companies That Care may be found at: http://www.companies-that-care.org.