Residents will soon have no excuse for not taking care of business. Office Depot plans to open a store at 7151 Dixie Highway in the White Lake Commons shopping center, in the building formerly occupied by Franks Nursery and Crafts.
The company applied for a permit from the Independence Township building department in early August, which was approved in late September, to fill the store. It has been vacant since 2005, the department said.
Office Depot, based in Delray Beach, Fla., is a retail store dedicated to selling business- and office-related products.
The company operates more than 1,000 stores in North America. This will mark its 25th location in Michigan. The nearest locations are in Troy and Southfield, both more than 15 miles from the Clarkston area.
‘It’s key, to provide a convenient location for our customers,? said Office Depot Spokeswoman Melissa Perlman.
‘It’s our goal to provide (those) and the service they expect.?
Perlman said the company chose the area after tracking its customer base.
Kimco Realty Corporation, based in New Hyde Park, N.Y., owns the shopping center, which it purchased in 1996.
Work is being done inside the 19,500-square-foot building to get it ready for a Jan. 14 grand opening, the company said.
The store will be designed around a company-mandated M-2 format. The design, started in 2004, is designed to be ‘intuitive, logical, and designed specifically by the way people make decisions,? Perlman said.
The concept groups items based on their relevance to each other, making the shopping experience easier for customers, Perlman said.
‘There are products all around you,? she said
The store will carry ‘winning business solutions,? Perlman said, including an area for designing, printing and shipping.
Office Depot has a mission to give to local groups and organizations each time it moves into an area, ‘in an effort to make the store a community effort,? Perlman said.
‘We prove that, each time we open a store,? she added.
Office Depot’s planned hours of operation are Mon.-Fri. from 8 a.m.-9 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The store can be reached at 248-625-5200.