POWER OF ATTORNEY

         The undersigned, Randy Pianin, does hereby constitute and appoint
David C. Fannin, Anne Zuckerman and Joy Belnavis, or any one of them acting
alone, as agent and attorney-in-fact with full power and authority to: (1)
execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's capacity as
an officer and/or director of Office Depot, Inc. (the "Company"), Forms 3, 4 and
5 in accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and
the rules thereunder; (2) do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of
the undersigned which may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any
such Forms 3, 4 or 5 and timely file such form with the United States Securities
and Exchange Commission and any stock exchange or similar authority; and (3)
take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the foregoing
which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to, in the
best interest of, or legally required by, the undersigned, it being understood
that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the
undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be in such form and shall
contain such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in such
attorney-in-fact's discretion.

         The undersigned hereby grants to such attorney-in-fact full power and
authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,
necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers
herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or
could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or revocation,
hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or such
attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do, have previously
done, or cause to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney and the rights and
powers herein granted.

         The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorney-in-fact, in
serving in such capacity at the request of the undersigned, is not assuming, nor
is the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply
with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. It shall at all times
remain the responsibility of the undersigned to inform the Company through its
attorneys of any transactions which are required to be reported.

         This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the
undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4 and 5 with respect to the
undersigned's holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the Company,
unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered to any
of the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has hereunto executed this Power of
Attorney as of this  4th day of May, 2005.



                   Signed:  /s/ Randy Pianin
                                 Randy Pianin