Employees of the big box retailer, some dressed in blue, others in red, stood behind Mayor Dennis Travale and store manager Sean Brown while two local Special Olympians cut a ribbon.

A handful of customers were waiting to be ushered inside the 20,000-square-foot store, located at the main intersection coming into town.

In an interview with the Reformer, Travale said the whole town is benefitting from the growth along the strip, which includes a Wal-Mart, Shoppers Drug Mart, and a Boston Pizza.

Customers, he said, "don't just stay on the Queensway, they venture into the core.

"The feedback we're getting is that (merchants) have never seen more people in the core. Their sales have not dropped. They've increased."

New stores on the highway are attracting customers who would otherwise drive out of town to shop, Travale explained.

"It increases our catchment area. More people are here. It's all positive news."

Staples, a worldwide chain, sells office supplies, including furniture and computers, and has a photocopying and printing section where customers can order wedding invitations and personal cheques.

The store will provide competition for Norfolk Office Supply in downtown Simcoe, which recently sent a letter to customers comparing their prices to what Staples charges.

"I look after my customers," said store owner Anne Coleman. "Our customers will stay loyal . . . I am hopeful."

Strolling through the aisles of Staples pushing a shopping cart, Henrietta Jacobs of St. Williams called the store "great."

Jacobs and her husband run a mobile sign business. She said they often drive to Hamilton to do shopping and pick up office supplies there.

"It's handy to have store like this in town," she said.

The Simcoe Staples will employ about 30 people and is open seven days a week.

"Today is a special day," Brown said as the first customers filed in. "It's a fun event all of us are proud to be part of."

Travale said the county is "encouraging" new businesses to locate in Norfolk and expects the area to continue to grow.

"If you look down the horizon at where we'll be 10 years from now, we will be a dynamic community.

Norfolk is on the verge of tremendous growth and change."