Staples: strategic evolution and decline in retailing
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyze strategic decline in office supply retailing. The paper describes how inconsistent and biased internal decisions and perspectives can lead to decline, even for retailers, once dominant in their sector.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is a case study of Staples and the US office supply industry over a 30-year period.
Findings
A series of inconsistent and contradictory strategic decisions led to the decline of Staples, the world’s largest office supply retailer. With a backdrop of increasing online competition, Staples failed to rethink the role of its store network, lost its value positioning and embarked on an inconsistent and flawed acquisition strategy.
Originality/value
This paper shows the need for retail companies to continue to develop strategies for traditional formats while moving into a multichannel competitive environment. The paper concludes with nine lessons for retailers, involving the need for distinct channel strategies, reinforcing of value positioning and the importance of an internal focus on strategic evolution.
Keywords
Citation
Strong, J.S. (2018), "Staples: strategic evolution and decline in retailing", Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 39 No. 3, pp. 9-16. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-06-2017-0090
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited