ESND Essendant Inc.

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14D-9

Solicitation/Recommendation Statement

under Section 14(d)(4) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No. 8)

ESSENDANT INC.

(Name of Subject Company)

ESSENDANT INC.

(Names of Persons Filing Statement)

Common Stock, par value $0.10 per share

(Title of Class of Securities)

296689102

(CUSIP Number of Class of Securities)

Brendan J. McKeough

Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Essendant Inc.

One Parkway North Blvd.

Suite 100

Deerfield, Illinois 60015

(847) 627-7000

(Name, address, and telephone numbers of person authorized to receive

notices and communications on behalf of the persons filing statement)

With copies to:

Charles W. Mulaney, Jr., Esq.

Richard C. Witzel, Jr., Esq.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

155 North Wacker Drive

Chicago, Illinois 60606

(312) 407-0700

This Amendment No. 8 (this “Amendment”) amends and supplements the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 (as amended or supplemented from time to time, the “Schedule 14D-9”) filed by Essendant Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Essendant”), with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 24, 2018, relating to the offer by Egg Merger Sub Inc. (a Delaware corporation and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Egg Parent Inc., a Delaware corporation, and an affiliate of Staples, Inc., a Delaware corporation) to purchase all of the outstanding shares of Essendant’s common stock, par value $0.10 per share, at a purchase price of $12.80 per share, net to the seller in cash, without interest, subject to any deduction or withholding of taxes required by applicable law, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase, dated September 24, 2018 (incorporated by reference in the Schedule 14D-9 as Exhibit (a)(1)(A)), as amended or supplemented from time to time, and in the related Letter of Transmittal (incorporated by reference in the Schedule 14D-9 as Exhibit (a)(1)(B)), as amended or supplemented from time to time.

Except to the extent amended and supplemented by this Amendment, the information in the Schedule 14D-9 remains unchanged. Capitalized terms used, but not otherwise defined, in this Amendment have the meanings ascribed to them in the Schedule 14D-9.

Item 8 of the Schedule 14D-9 is hereby amended and supplemented by inserting at the end of the subsection titled “Certain Litigation” the disclosure set forth below:

“On October 15, 2018, a purported stockholder filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, captioned Michael J Sultan v. Essendant Inc., et al. , Case No. 1:18-cv-01582-UNA (D. Del.) (the “ Sultan Complaint ”). The Sultan Complaint names the Company and the Company Board as defendants. The Sultan Complaint alleges that the defendants violated federal securities laws by filing, or causing the Company to file, a Schedule 14D-9 Solicitation/Recommendation Statement in connection with the Contemplated Transactions that omits purportedly material information. The Sultan Complaint seeks to enjoin the closing of the Offer unless and until the requested information is disclosed or, alternatively, to recover damages if the Offer closes without the disclosure of such information. The Company believes that the action is without merit. The full complaint is attached hereto as Exhibit (a)(5)(P).”

Signature. After due inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

Date: October 16, 2018