I remember back when Tom Stemberg was still in charge, it was great back then in the '90s and early 2000s, then when Ron took over and CE was purchased that is when the spiral started.
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Who knows maybe the days will be better. I feel for people in areas where there are a lot of Staples though, like California, Massachusetts, Texas, Florida. If they go down, there will be a lot of people with the same skills trying to compete for the same jobs.
CE legacy...let me add to be fair about there were plenty of Staples legacy incompetent management to share the blame with the erosion of Staples. A Dumb Azz is Dumb Azz regardless which side of the ledger. Peace with hair grease...
@5bzb+19iMnOtm...you actually make my argument when you say only the CE managers remain from 2008 conference. Trash Management = Trash Company with SP added for flavor. BTW SP found CE Managers to be garbage as evidenced by the riffs over the last 2 years. They immediately wax poetic on LinkedIn about the friendships, relationships and how they better people for being laid off....blah blah blah
I see some blatant revisionist CE history on the more recent replies. Former legacy Staples Account Manager here ...A CE rep could not carry my jock. Over paid ,whiney a–, coddled, under achieving divas was my everyday observation. Staples payed way too much for their flailing company in the pursuit of the arms race with OD to be the largest. Trash website and platform which set the company back several years integrating trash customers through the brilliant Pathways initiative. Damn right many legacy Staples reps left when the CE management implemented their losing culture. Don’t get me wrong there were some good salt of the earth and genuine people I had the pleasure of working with. However I would say the majority pure garbage. The CE losing culture combined with the vultures from SP equal a slow painful death to a once great company.
Staples was a great company to work for before CE and Staples was still a great company to work for after CE. The Sales and Management teams actually complimented each other quite nicely and we became stronger together. Times and industry changes the acquisitions Staples made happened for a reason and were a result of the changes needed to move forward and continue to grow. Times and industry continue to change, that’s what happens. Evolve or dissolve. Still hopeful to see an Evolution. Jury still out. What is missing is a true respect and appreciation for the sales and management from the tops of the organization. Past Staples and Past CE- that support and appreciation did exist from the vast majority of leadership and the culture was positive for the majority of the sales organization and the partnerships with support teams was strong. Lessons can be learned from the past and respect and appreciation are things that should never change.
Great last post regarding CE. Staples contact group was garbage when CE was purchased. The only business the Staples group ever won was bought. No profit that was funded by retail. CE regularly ate their lunch because the Staples sales team was so weak.
Attended a sales meeting in 2008 where CE and Staples strategic account sales teams met and CE was to learn the Staples way. Waste of time. The Staples sales people were all inferior to CE. Only the CE managers from that meeting still work at the company. The Staples reps were weak and it was obvious. Most of them are gone. The stupidest part of the meeting was a closing video to the music of U2. Staples reps thought it was amazing. CE reps were in shock because of how ridiculous it was.
All you CE haters can wax poetic about the good old retail days but make no mistake Staples would have dissolved years ago had it not been for the CE purchase as their retail failed and became obsolete and because there was no foresight or vision in retail. RS, DP, SG were all blind to the changing marketplace. DM was especially incompetent. Just look at declining YoY same store sales in that time frame.
People seem to forget that the value of Staples is in the contract division - not in Retail. When Sycamore bought Staples, 80% of the purchase price was associated with NAD, not US Retail or Staples Canada.
If Staples hadn’t bought CE - and let’s remember that was a hostile takeover - Staples would have been a lot less valuable. The old Commercial and Contract Division was not large enough to compete in the marketplace at just $3B. Adding CE allowed more scale, efficiencies and a lot more profit. It also allowed less risk than a retail only play. CE actually had a good culture, high employee engagement, a strong international business and was a progressive market leader in sustainability.
It was Staples Executive Leadership (RS, SG, JD, etc.) that k–led the value that purchase brought. Whether it was trying to ‘Staple-ize’ the European business - and damaging it badly in the process, centralizing functions that were better off localized, removing functions and programs they didn’t truly understand, and reducing management to the point that it couldn’t be effective - all that hangs on their records.
Sycamore and SD are simply stripping whatever value is still remaining. They have an idea they can sell on the business when they are done - but who will want to buy anything that is no longer relevant? They have no idea on how to grow the business, no interest in building inherent long term value and no expertise in transformation. Add in a poor set of leaders - SD, SP, JH, JG, KAC, RQD, MM up in Canada - and all you have is chaos and cost cutting, because they know nothing else. Hopefully the next set of owners will have a vested interest in really transforming the business, or whatever is left of it.
Google search the binary. It's a Futurama reference for a ride on a time machine to take you back in time.
Let’s all wear red on Friday and develop a Staples playlist! I’m well educated but an absolute id–t! 100002 1001210 11100001.
Tom didn't like the comercial contract business and saw the retail as the future to success.
Ron came on board and made deals to push for the contract acquisitions and it took several years before the contract side to became more profitable to the company. When Ron was pressure to aquire CE it changed the culture of the company. CE was a cancer that ruined the CARE values of what was a fantastic family of great sales leadership. There was a high level CE leader who stated "They will write about how we were successful switching relationships of customers with their Account Managers." WM. I hope the book comes out soon. RIP.
The “ Layoff .com “ ?? What does taking a shot at the founder of the company have to do with layoffs? I knew Tom pretty well. I saw him be a little difficult at times . That was usually reserved for “ hiring mistakes” . He was amazing with those that performed well. Some folks couldn’t take his style. I liked it . Steve Jobs .....some people thought he was less than polite . Who cares ? It worked . One of the best companies ever on this planet.
Stick to the topic of layoffs ....the good news is that topic will ALWAYS be in your future, thanks in part to another mention here ....RS . Destroyed the company . Heartbeat ? You’re kidding right !?
That was a good reply about Tom. Never met the guy, though I did see him I think during a visit to the office. Somebody asked a question about the 0's and 1's in the original post. I think it is binary as there are only 0s and 1s but what it is not sure, wasn't a math major and binary really doesn't impress me much.
Anybody out there know what they could be?
I attended weekly Monday US Retail Leadership meetings when Tom was at the helm. They were vicious and traumatizing. Tom slayed people left and right whenever he felt like it, then smoked his pipe and fell asleep every half hour. The meeting last 3 to 4 hours or until Tom woke up.
Don’t get me wrong, Tom was a tremendous entrepreneur but, he was a horrible leader / person in real life. I knew him well enough to know that you should never start a conversation with him, he was an absolute jerk. Granted Ron was no bundle of joy but, he at least had a heart beat.
Good reply whoever typed this. But what all all the 1’s and 0’s in the original message? Above my pay-grade. Anybody out there got the gray matter or was it just put there from when uploaded.
Those of us at CE think they were the good old days too. It was fun to compete against Staples and Depot. It was good for the customer, good for the companies and good for us workers. Opportunity to prove yourself and COMPETITION was good. Now what do we have? Monopolies, dumpster fires being gutted by Private Equity and barbarian local dealers who still think it is 1994. Sad days for a once great industry. Watch the movie SEVEN, they are using typewriters. We need to find other ways to make a living. It is over.