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When it comes to back-to-school shopping , don’t forget about the office supply stores. You may automatically think of Target back-to-school sales or Walmart back-to-school deals when planning your shopping list, but the Staples back-to-school sale every year includes deals that are priced to compete with even the biggest retailers. And in 2025, they offered a handful of in-store freebies, including a free First Day of School Sign and freebies with a purchase (more on that below).
My local Staples is closer to my house than Target or Walmart, so it’s a no-brainer where I’ll be shopping for my school supplies. The Staples back-to-school sale usually runs from June through mid-September.
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Staples Back-to-School Freebies
Get free stuff each week at Staples with any purchase. Here are the weekly offers:
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July 12–July 18: Free Astrobright Solar Spark colored paper (100 sheets)
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July 19–July 25: Free Sharpie S-Gel pens (2-pack)
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July 26–August 1: Free Post-it Pop-up Notes Dispenser (for online orders, must spend $35+ to receive deal)
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August 2–August 8: Free Eccolo Password Journal
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August 9–August 15: Free Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Pens (2-pack)
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August 23 (Sunday Only): Free NeeDoh Groovy Glob with a qualifying purchase of $50 or more in-store or $100 or more on Staples.com.
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September 6–September 12: Free Staples Tote Bag
Best Staples Back-to-School Deals
The Staples Back-to-School Sale is an annual event that lasts about 14 weeks, with some of the best prices of the year on school supplies.
The Staples back-to-school deals start in June and continues through September, and the prices are sometimes lower than Walmart's or Target's.
KCL confirms the Staples Back-to-School Sale started Sunday, June 14, 2026.
Staples back-to-school sales have officially begun. KCL predicts that it’ll last through mid-September.
Staples' Back-to-School Freebies 2026
From now through Sept. 12, Staples is running a series of weekly freebies with a qualifying purchase, both in-store and on Staples.com. These offers are part of Staples' broader back-to-school lineup, which also includes school supplies starting as low as $0.25 and savings on essential tech.
All the Staples Freebies Offers From July 12 – Sept. 12, 2026
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July 12 - July 18: Free Astrobright Solar Spark colored paper (100 sheets) with any purchase
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July 19 - July 25: Free Sharpie S-Gel pens (2-pack) with any purchase
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July 26 - Aug. 1: Free Post-it Pop-up Notes Dispenser with any purchase
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Aug. 2 - Aug. 8: Free Eccolo Password Journal with any purchase
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Aug. 9 - Aug. 15: Free Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Pens (2-pack) with any purchase
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Aug. 23 (Sunday only): Free NeeDoh Groovy Glob with a qualifying purchase of $50+ in-store or $100+ on Staples.com
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Sept. 6 - Sept. 12: Free Staples Tote Bag with any purchase
The Staples 2026 Teacher Discount runs through Sept. 12: 20% Off Back-to-School Coupon (In Stores Only)
Teachers can get 20% off one in-store purchase by showing a teacher ID and presenting the coupon in the Staples app at checkout. The discount is valid from June 14 through Sept. 12, 2026, and is limited to one use, with exclusions on select items. It applies to classroom essentials like bulk supply packs, custom print, décor, storage, sensory items, and cleaning supplies.
Tips for Saving at the Staples Back-to-School Sale
1. Join Staples Easy Rewards to earn points and get coupons.
The Staples Easy Rewards program is free to join, and once you're a member, you'll unlock exclusive savings and perks to help with back-to-school shopping. You'll earn 1 point for every $1 spent, and you can pick up to three bonus categories to earn double points. Plus, as long as you're an active member, your points never expire. You can also rack up extra points by recycling unwanted tech, ink, toner, and more.
Members can also get coupons sent to their email. I received $5 off $10.
2. Recycle at Staples and earn points, discounts, and coupons.
The Staples Recycling program makes it worth your time to recycle. Easy Rewards members can start earning points just for dropping off used tech, ink cartridges, batteries, and more, plus get access to exclusive in-store discounts.
Here’s how the Staples recycling rewards break down:
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1,000 points when you recycle tech or batteries for the first time (new Easy Rewards members only)
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500 points per month when you continue recycling tech and batteries
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500 points per ink or toner cartridge, up to 6 per month — that’s up to $15 back in rewards
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$30 in points when you buy a qualifying HP printer and recycle your old one in store
All these offers are tied to your Easy Rewards account, and most are in-store only. Points can be redeemed like cash on future purchases, with 1,000 points equal to $1.
Recycling these items is completely free. Here's a list of products accepted for recycling:
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Backpacks
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Lunch bags
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Pencil pouches (soft and hard case)
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Writing instruments (pencils, markers, pens, crayons, highlighters)
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Rulers and similar items (protractors, triangles, etc. — wood, plastic, metal)
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Glue sticks and empty bottles
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Tech (calculators, headphones, earbuds, cables, USBs, etc.)
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Binders (regular and zipper — paper must be removed)
Sharp cutting instruments, like scissors and X-Acto knives, aren't included.
3. Stock up on Staples school supplies with prices that rival Walmart and Target.
At some points during the back-to-school season, Staples’ prices will even dip down below Walmart‘s. You’re gonna have to hang on for a couple of weeks before this is true for most products, though.
Here are the rock-bottom prices to look for from Staples — if you see them marked down this low, stock up:
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2-pocket paper folders: $0.25
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1-subject notebooks: $0.35
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Composition books: $0.50
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Crayola crayons: $0.50
4. Take advantage of Staples’ 100% Price Match Guarantee.
Staples offers a 100% Price Match Guarantee. If you spot a lower price on an identical item, just show it to a Staples associate, and they'll match it. You can bring a competitor’s weekly ad or use your phone to compare prices while shopping in-store.
And if you buy something from a Staples store and find it at a lower price in another Staples store or on Staples.com within 14 days, Staples will refund you the difference.
5. You can stack promo codes when shopping Staples back-to-school sales online.
True story! Staples issues product coupons in the form of promo codes, and also promo codes that apply to your entire transaction.
You can use only one transaction coupon on your entire order. BUT you can combine individual product coupons on top of that whole-transaction coupon when you shop Staples online.
6. Note the product exclusions for coupons on Staples.com.
The fact that you can use more than one promo code when shopping Staples online is pretty amazing. But there’s a long list of exclusions. You can never use an online coupon for any of these products:
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Laptops and tablets
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Streaming devices
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Apple products
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Bose products
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Google products
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Ultimate Ears products
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Wacom products
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TI graphing calculators
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Most ink and toner
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Gift cards
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Phone cards
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Postage
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Custom orders or promotional products
While there are a couple of big-ticket back-to-school items on that list of exclusions, the good news is that you can still use promo codes on the most common basics you’re likely to buy in bulk, like notebooks, crayons, and glue.
Related Reading:
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