Some of what you will do:
Our Category Specialists are accountable to meet financial sales and gross margin targets for their categories. Working collaboratively with their Category Manager, they will assist in sourcing and building assortments, developing promotions, setting pricing, and delivering best-in-class presentation to drive sustained growth and capture market share including supporting programmatic customer opportunities. This role will partner closely with across our Merchandise, Strategy, Planning and Allocation teams.
Specifically, You Will:
- Working closely with Category Manager, develop channel-relevant assortments leveraging solid analytics, industry trends and vendor/brand insights.
- Work with Category Manager on all line reviews.
- Proactively seek out category insights from vendors and external sources of information.
- Provide presales support to high value/specific customer opportunities.
- Support programmatic customer opportunities that could include RFI (Request for Information), RFQ (Request for Quotation), RFP (Request for Proposal) and other customer requests.
- Onboard and set up new SKUs by collecting all required content from vendor partners and following established set-up guidelines.
- Set and maintain pricing, ensuring it is in line with pricing policies and strategies for the category.
- Monitor integrity of systems data (AS400, Sunrise, Alpha).
- Work with the planograming department to ensure inline presentation aligns with category strategies, keeping the customer shopping experience top-of-mind.
- Work with vendors to establish effective off-shelf displays that adhere to presentation criteria and balance both inventory investment and sales forecast.
Some of what you need:
- Post secondary diploma with a focus on retail management, merchandising and purchasing or equivalent experience.
- Understanding of basic merchandising and marketing strategies.
- Required to commit necessary time to fluctuating priorities and meet the demands of the position.
- Minimum of 1-3 years of previous retail management, purchasing or merchandising experience.
Some of what you will get:
- Associate discount
- Health and Dental benefits
- RRSP/DPSP
- Performance bonuses
- Learning & Development programs
- And more...
Skills Required
- Post-secondary diploma in retail management, merchandising, purchasing or equivalent experience
- Understanding of basic merchandising and marketing strategies
- Ability to commit necessary time to fluctuating priorities and meet position demands
- Minimum of 1-3 years previous retail management, purchasing or merchandising experience
Staples Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Staples and has not been reviewed or approved by Staples.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellbeing offerings are described as broad, including wellness reimbursements, emotional support and coaching, legal services, identity theft protection, and pet insurance. Employee discounts and select on-site amenities are also positioned as meaningful add-ons beyond basic coverage.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time-off provisions are presented as relatively expansive, including paid time off, company-recognized holidays, and a personal or flexible holiday option. Vacation that grows with tenure and PTO flexibility are highlighted as valued elements.
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Inclusive Benefits Coverage — Healthcare benefits explicitly include gender-affirming care alongside medical, dental, and vision coverage. Family and caregiver programs also include support that references LGBTQ+ considerations and broader life-stage needs.
Staples Insights
What We Do
For nearly 40 years, Staples has been a trusted leader in delivering end-to-end workplace solutions for consumers and businesses of all sizes across a broad range of industries. The company provides a comprehensive portfolio of products, strategic solutions, and services including print and marketing, shipping, technology, and travel. Its specialized assortment includes high-quality office supplies, janitorial products, technology, furniture, and breakroom essentials, all supported by best-in-class supply chain capabilities and a dedicated team of experts committed to making the workday easier. Headquartered near Boston, Massachusetts, Staples operates throughout North America via direct B2B sales, e-commerce, and more than 900 retail stores. To learn more, visit your local U.S. Staples store, download the Staples app, explore Staples.com or StaplesBusiness.com, or follow @Staples on social media.
