ESND Essendant Inc.

United Stationers Inc. 2000 Management Equity Plan

United Stationers Inc. Retention Grant Plan

United Stationers Inc. Directors Grant Plan

United Stationers Inc. Management Equity Plan

United Stationers Inc. 1981 Stock Incentive Award Plan

United Stationers Inc. 1985 Nonqualified Stock Option Plan

United Stationers Inc. Directors’ Stock Option Plan

(Full titles of the plans)

Brendan J. McKeough

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

One Parkway North Blvd.

Suite 100

Deerfield, Illinois 60015

(847) 627-7000

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

With copies to:

Sean D. Rodgers, P.C.

Laura Sullivan

Kirkland & Ellis LLP

601 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York 10022

(212) 446-4600

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act (check one):

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

DEREGISTRATION OF SECURITIES

This Post-Effective Amendment (this “ Post-Effective Amendment ”) filed by Essendant Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), removes from registration any and all shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.10 per share (the “ Common Stock ”), that remain unsold under the following registration statements (each, a “ Registration Statement ,” and collectively, the “ Registration Statements ”) filed by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ SEC ”):

On January 31, 2019, pursuant to the terms of an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of September 14, 2018 (the “ Merger Agreement ”), by and among the Company, Egg Parent Inc., a Delaware corporation and an affiliate of Staples (as defined below) (“ Parent ”), Egg Merger Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (“ Purchaser ”), and Staples, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ Staples ”), Purchaser merged with and into the Company (the “ Merger ”), with the Company surviving the Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent, at which time the Company’s equity securities ceased to be publicly traded.

As a result of the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the Company has terminated all offerings of its securities pursuant to the Registration Statements. In accordance with an undertaking made by the Company in each of the Registration Statements to remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any securities which remain unsold at the termination of the offering subject to the Registration Statements, the Company hereby removes from registration any and all securities of the Company registered pursuant to the Registration Statements that remain unsold as of the date hereof and terminates the effectiveness of the Registration Statements.