why does Staples even have them?
Because Staples is desperate to move overprices products in there B&M stores to rube customers. When I worked there it was all about stacking service plans, extended warranties and expensive crap like $80 cables onto computer sales. We tried Monster Cables, Beats headphones, Shark Tank, As Seen On TV, and any other gimmicks we could. More than once I whispered "monoprice.com" or "swiftink.com" into a customer's ear.
The savvy, cost conscientious customer is not the Staples customer. If you come in and buy a bare computer on sale, or just grab the loss leaders from the weekly ad, the managers look at you with contempt. And the employees cower because they know they are fucked for ringing up that bare computer they didn't get a service, repair and warranty plan on. We called that hitting a triple when you got all three. A sale was only a homerun if you sold a wireless mouse/keyboard, UPS and printer/ink too. Then you'd get asked by the sales manager why you didn't sell a service plan on the printer or sell an ink discount card to the customer as well. Did you even offer to show them a chair and floor mat or new desk?
I honestly think Staples management looks back to the glory days when it was easy to make B&M sales and can't figure out why it stopped. Now with their shrinking market share they are using the kick-the-person-below-you style of management and it's ain't working. All while perpetuating the myth that ink really should cost that much. At least that's how it was at my old store.
NO! I'm not bitter at all!