15 Staples Stores to Remain Open All Night

Looking to tap into a surprisingly brisk market for making copies in the middle of the night, Staples said Wednesday that it will leave 15 of its office supply stores open around the clock.

The retailer had tested the 24-hour concept in four stores--one in West Los Angeles, two in the Boston area and one in Springfield, Pa.--before deciding to open more all-night stores in nine states, mostly in areas near colleges or in dense urban communities.

The new all-night stores in California will be in Alhambra and Studio City. Other all-night outlets will be added in Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Westboro, Mass.-based Staples said it has no immediate plans to extend the 24-hour openings across the 950-store chain.

The move will put Staples in direct competition with 24-hour chains such as Kinko’s, which are popular among business travelers and students needing photocopies or access to a computer.