I don’t think any of this is magical but I’ll give Staples a few suggestions.
- sell stuff people want. Post it notes/printer toner were cool a decade ago. They no longer are. Finding new products is critical.
- Sell in adjacent categories. Do you visit every medical facility around daily? Yes; expand your assortment.
- Merchant led sales is true and it’s failed the company. Maybe change to common sense led sales.