Office Depot offers weekly sales in the middle of summer to help families prepare for the new school year. From cheap notebooks and pencils to laptops for college students, here’s your guide to saving at the Office Depot Back-to-School Sale.
We’ve made Office Depot (and their sister store OfficeMax) a non-negotiable stop during our back-to-school shopping because their sales offer the same low prices you’ll find in Target back-to-school and Walmart back-to-school sales. Keep reading to learn some of our favorite tips for how to save at Office Depot during back-to-school season.
Don’t forget to check in each week as new deals roll out — staying prepared doesn’t have to mean spending a fortune. It’s all about making that school supply list a little less daunting, one discounted item at a time.
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The Office Depot/Office Max Back-to-School Sale is an annual 3-month event with deals on classroom essentials.
Score discounted prices during the Office Depot/Office Max Back-to-School Sale on things on your student’s supply list like folders, pencils, and notebooks. Teachers also get coupons that can be stacked with other savings during the sale.
KCL predicts the Office Depot/OfficeMax Back-to-School Sale will start Sunday, June 14, 2026.
Office Depot/OfficeMax hasn’t officially announced the next date for their Back-to-School Sale, but based on what they’ve done in recent years, we at KCL predict that it’ll take place starting Sunday, June 14, 2026, lasting through mid-September.
How did we make our prediction?
Sales cycles at Office Depot/OfficeMax always start on a Sunday, and the Back-to-School sale historically kicked off in mid-July. But in 2025, Office Depot/OfficeMax shifted earlier, starting deals on June 15 — almost a month sooner than expected — and ran the sale through mid-September. Since we expect them to follow the same pattern in 2026, that puts the start date on June 14, 2026.
Here are the recent start dates for the Back-to-School Sale at Office Depot/OfficeMax:
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June 15, 2025
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July 16, 2023
Tips for Shopping the Office Depot/OfficeMax School Deals
1. Join Office Depot/OfficeMax Rewards to get 2% back on nearly everything in-store.
Sign up for Office Depot/OfficeMax Rewards (it’s free), and you’ll earn 2% back on nearly everything in the store. Once you’re a member, keep these pointers in mind:
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Rewards certificates get sent out once a month and are valid for 60 days.
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Watch for member-only savings to earn up to 100% back in rewards when you purchase specific products.
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Receive $2 back in rewards for every ink cartridge you recycle with a minimum purchase of $10.
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Earn $2 back in rewards for reviewing products online, with a limit of three per month.
2. Shop Office Depot back-to-school sales to stock up for the same prices as Target and Walmart, including name brands like Crayola Crayons.
You’ll find name-brand and store-brand school supplies for prices that rival Target’s back-to-school and Walmart’s back-to-school sales. It’s not uncommon to see the following sale prices for popular school supplies at Office Depot, so take that as your cue to stock up :
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Just Basics Spiral Notebook, as low as $0.50
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Crayola Crayons, $0.50
3. Watch for Office Depot/OfficeMax Rewards offers to score school supplies for free.
What’s better than picking up school supplies for cheap? Getting them for free, of course! One of the best perks of having an Office Depot/OfficeMax Rewards membership is the members-only rewards offers. Look for rewards opportunities offering 100% back in rewards for purchasing specific products. 100% back in rewards = free.
4. Office Depot's Give Back to Schools program allows you to donate 5% to your designated school.
Office Depot has come up with a super-easy way to donate to the school that has your heart. To participate in Office Depot’s Give Back to Schools program, contact your school for their unique ID number. You can also search for your school’s ID if they’ve already registered.
Then provide your school’s ID when making a purchase in-store or online, and your school of choice will receive 5% back on your qualifying Office Depot school supply purchase. Once your school has earned more than $10 in a quarter, they’ll be mailed a merchandise certificate that can be used in-store or online at OfficeDepot.com.
Office Depot reports that they’ve given $38 million back to schools since the formation of the program, with some schools receiving up to $3,000 a year.
5. Teachers can save with exclusive coupons in-store.
Worrying about the cost of stocking a classroom before a new school year should be the last thing on a teacher’s mind. Office Depot may be able to help. If you’re a teacher, check the Rewards Offers section for exclusive coupons to use during the back-to-school season.
I spotted coupons specifically for teachers that offered 30% back in rewards. To receive the savings, you must be an Office Depot/OfficeMax Rewards member and have a valid teacher ID. The offer is exclusively in-store and on regular-priced items.
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