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FRAMINGHAM, MASS. — Office-supply retailer Staples Inc. plans to close 225 North American stores by the end of 2015. The closures are part of a multi-year cost savings plan that is expected to generate annualized pre-tax cost savings of approximately $500 million by the end of 2015. In contrast to the company’s fourth-quarter performance as a whole, which saw a 10.6 percent year-over-year decline in sales, fourth-quarter business at Staples.com was up 10 percent from a year ago. Staples says it reduced its footprint last year by 1 million square feet through closing 40 stores.