Staples, Inc. is a very large supply chain store in the United States, and it has over 2,000 stores globally in 26 countries. The company’s headquarters are situated in Framingham, Massachusetts. Staples has retail stores, attending to customers under its original name in various countries such as Australia, Brazil, and Germany and operating subsidiaries in countries like Argentina and Italy. The company consists of various businesses such as selling supplies, promotional products, technology, office supplies, and health and beauty services through online and in stores.
Staples came up with some strategies, which targeted at increasing its productivity and profits. Ultimately, this caused dramatic operational improvement. For instance, communication played a major role in promoting the company’s services to consumers. From that point onwards, they keep their customers well informed. Staples regularly updates their customers in the specifics of their relationship with the company. They inform the customers on any recent news or changes about the company services, and what is in progress in the general marketplace of the company. They also communicate to the customers on how to use their products and services more effectively. The communication is done via direct mail, emails, newsletters, phone calls, billboards and postcards, which contributes to the company’s success. Customers have turned up in large numbers since the company made all written communications clear, concise, and grammatically correct marking its success.
In 1988, Staples paced its marketing efforts by giving potential customers a special catalog, with an interest of a free pencil and pen. For those who accepted this offer, the company was sure that more than half of them would come back to make future purchases. The company added more stores in the Northeastern with the aim of locking up prime retail locations over the region, since competitors would face difficulties in establishing their stores during the same year. Their revenues had risen with large profits hence making good progress. Also, Staples offered a free Staples card to customers that offered discounts on products or services purchased (Innis and Drache, pg. 41).
Staples observed convenience whereby they made easy and simple services to the consumers at any time (24/7). The company that makes sure every kind of services or products they offers are available at any given time, where the customers want it, when the customers want it, and how the customers want it. Staples also makes sure that customers are not kept on hold since they reduced the number of buttons which people press when using the automated device answering system to pay for their services.
The company does what their customers want. For instance, the company enquires from the customers when they need an item or a service, delivering packages anywhere soon and quickly, and answering their calls in a formal and swift way. Staples keeps their Internet pages updated every day and loads information rapidly. The organization is always reachable online through the Internet for people reporting issues and seeking for direct or first-hand information. Staples website offers services both day and night. People therefore have the ability to place orders online at their time of convenience. They are often encouraged to buy more so that they can get free shipping. The company makes deliveries after all. Previously, the company offered free delivery on any order for Staples Rewards card holders, but presently only associate members get free shipping on all orders (Bednarz, pg. 30).
What made Staples one of the main and largest online retailers is the acquisition of small companies such as Office Depot. The move enabled the organization to offer competitive prices to consumers. It also enabled Staples to concentrate on corporate consumers and offer them better services. Through acquisition of smaller companies, Staples can market to customers directly, especially through its subsidiary Quill Corp.
Staples aimed at priotizing the needs of the customers which ensures that they feel appreciated. Staples has trained its employees to treat their customers with respect and compassion, in an effort to make them feel appreciated. This attracts more customers since a happy customer will always fetch more customers.
Staples established a customer advisory board, which targets at learning more about what their customers and the public need. The board has asked their customers simple and brief questions such as what is new in their lives, and what would they like to observe from the company in the future, which helps the board to come up with new success strategies. Staples has a very strong, learned and intelligent board of directors, which comes up with very brilliant decisions that major in the company’s development. The company has good employees, clearly trained in the current psychological practices required to govern business. The company also trains their staff on the basics and standards of business through big seminars. Staples ensures that each employee enjoys working in its premises through offering some allowances, which encourage and motivate them to work well. The company gives rewards to the best performing employee as a way of motivating and encouraging them. These are some of the strategies that separate Staples from other competitors.
Staples have also applied an advertising strategy to market themselves and their products. They have previously used advertising methods like social media, billboards, posters, newspapers, magazines and much more intended to persuade their audiences. The company has been using different amazing logos aiming to encourage or to inform their customers to shop at their stores. Social media has been revealed to be the most viable marketing method, and it is still ranked as the best up to date. This has promoted the company’s businesses to a higher degree.
The company has been using other more appealing options to boost its market performance and increase their profits such as competitive analysis. Staples has been aggressively using expansion strategies to overcome its competition. The company has aimed at generating a dense network of goods and retail chains all over the United States as well as having a wide range of its branches all over the world. They are presently dominating the first position in industry ranking through selling their products at fair prices with the aim of increasing their profits as well as appealing to the values of their current customers.
Staples stores are spacious and comfortable for both customers and employees. Employees work comfortably without supervision since each one of them has specialized in a particular field. They also have the freedom to work freely and through teamwork, the sharing of ideas improves the company’s productivity. Customers are also attracted by the free movement found in the Staples stores. Staples board always acknowledges their employees for their good work and customers for their cooperation and support in the development of the company.
In conclusion, Staples Corporation has very competent and skilled employees who work with passion, with the aid of the managing board, which aims to promote the company to higher levels. They also have the objective of serving the customers in the way they deserve, hence ranked as the best in the market. It is therefore important to note that for a company to make great milestones in its business, it has to ensure that the employees are well motivated as well as the customer. Offering bonuses and salary increments to the workers can boost their morale. Also, adequate training to them should be facilitated to ensure that they remain competent in the specific market. As for the customers, they should be treated with respect and appreciation, in order to make them return customers. These are some of the factors that have contributed to the success of Staples.
Works Cited
Bednarz, Ann. "Staples Switches Web Search Tools". Network World 2002: 30. Print
Innis, Harold Adams and Daniel Drache. Staples, Markets, And Cultural Change. Montreal,
Que.: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1995. Print.
