OfficeMax, Office Depot merger announced prematurely in draft press release
Someone at Office Depot is licking his or her wounds right now.
At the time the release appeared early Wednesday morning, the deal was not final; however, news outlets are now reporting that the office supply retailers have reached a deal. The Wall Street Journal first reported on Monday that OfficeMax and Office Depot were in talks to merge.
The premature news of the merger showed up in an earnings release on Office Depot’s website—on page four of the release, in fact—but was quickly removed, according to the Times. The release was reportedly a draft. Media outlets began reporting on the merger after spotting the news, lifting shares in the companies during premarket trading.
Perhaps the stock boost provided mercy for the person responsible for the release. As Brigid Sweeney, a retail and advertising reporter at Crain’s Chicago Business, noted on Twitter this morning:
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