Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership (3)

FORM 3	UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0104 Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5
	Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person ^*

EMU INVESTMENTS LLC

2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (MM/DD/YYYY) 5/17/2018

3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol

ESSENDANT INC [ESND]

(Last) (First) (Middle)

FIVE HUNDRED STAPLES DRIVE

4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)

_____ Director ___ X ___ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)

(Street)

FRAMINGHAM, MA 01702

(City) (State) (Zip)

5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (MM/DD/YYYY)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

___ Form filed by One Reporting Person
_ X _ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security (Instr. 4)	2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4)	3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
Common Stock	4203631	I	See Footnotes ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾

*Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned ( e.g.* , puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)**
1. Title of Derivate Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (MM/DD/YYYY)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
1. Title of Derivate Security (Instr. 4)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares	4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security		6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)

Explanation of Responses:
(1)	Shares of common stock, par value $0.10 per share (the "Common Stock") of Essendant Inc. that are directly held by Emu Investments LLC, a Delaware limited liability company ("Emu").
(2)	In addition to Emu, this Form 3 is being filed jointly by Staples, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Staples"), Arch Investors L.P., a Delaware limited partnership ("Arch LP"), SP GP (Cayman) Ltd., a Cayman Islands company ("SP GP"), Sycamore Partners II, L.P., a Cayman Islands limited partnership ("Sycamore"), Sycamore Partners II GP, L.P., a Cayman Islands limited partnership ("Sycamore GP"), Sycamore Partners II GP, Ltd., a Cayman Islands company ("Sycamore Ltd"), and Stefan L. Kaluzny, an individual ("Mr. Kaluzny" and, together with Emu, Staples, Arch LP, SP GP, Sycamore, Sycamore GP and Sycamore Ltd, the "Reporting Persons").
(3)	Each of Staples, Arch LP, SP GP, Sycamore, Sycamore GP, Sycamore Ltd. and Mr. Kaluzny, in their respective capacities (i) as the sole member of Emu, (ii) the indirect parent of Staples, (iii) the general partner of Arch LP, (iv) the sole member of SP GP, (v) the general partner of Sycamore, (vi) the general partner of Sycamore GP and (vii) the director of Sycamore Ltd., may be deemed to have the shared power to vote or direct the vote of (and the shared power to dispose or direct the disposition of) the Common Stock. Each of the Reporting Persons disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock, except to the extent of such Reporting Person's pecuniary interest therein. The filing of this statement shall not be deemed to be an admission that, for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise, the Reporting Persons are the beneficial owners of any securities reported herein.

Reporting Owners
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
EMU INVESTMENTS LLC FIVE HUNDRED STAPLES DRIVE FRAMINGHAM, MA 01702		X
STAPLES INC FIVE HUNDRED STAPLES DRIVE FRAMINGHAM, MA 01702		X
ARCH INVESTORS L.P. 9 WEST 57TH STREET, 31ST FLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10019		X
SP GP (CAYMAN) LTD. 9 WEST 57TH STREET, 31ST FLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10019		X
Sycamore Partners II, L.P. 9 WEST 57TH STREET, 31ST FLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10019		X
Sycamore Partners II GP, L.P. 9 WEST 57TH STREET, 31ST FLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10019		X
Sycamore Partners II GP, Ltd. 9 WEST 57TH STREET, 31ST FLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10019		X
Kaluzny Stefan L 9 WEST 57TH STREET, 31ST FLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10019		X

Signatures
EMU INVESTMENTS LLC, By: /s/ Stefan L. Kaluzny, Chief Executive Officer		5/25/2018
^** Signature of Reporting Person		Date
STAPLES, INC., By: /s/ Stefan L. Kaluzny, Director		5/25/2018
^** Signature of Reporting Person		Date
ARCH INVESTORS L.P., By: SP GP (Cayman) Ltd., its General Partner, By: /s/ Stefan L. Kaluzny, Director		5/25/2018
^** Signature of Reporting Person		Date
SP GP (CAYMAN) LTD., By: /s/ Stefan L. Kaluzny, Director		5/25/2018
^** Signature of Reporting Person		Date
SYCAMORE PARTNERS II, L.P., By: Sycamore Partners II GP, L.P., its General Partner, By: Sycamore Partners II GP, Ltd., its General Partner, By: /s/ Stefan L. Kaluzny, Director		5/25/2018
^** Signature of Reporting Person		Date
SYCAMORE PARTNERS II GP, L.P., By: Sycamore Partners II GP, Ltd., its General Partner, By: /s/ Stefan L. Kaluzny, Director		5/25/2018
^** Signature of Reporting Person		Date
SYCAMORE PARTNERS II GP, LTD., By: /s/ Stefan L. Kaluzny, Director		5/25/2018
^** Signature of Reporting Person		Date
/s/ STEFAN L. KALUZNY		5/25/2018
^** Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note:	File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
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