Merchandising company specialising in "Jobs for the Boys"....` - Sales Staples Employee Review

3.0
1 Sept 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Casual work atmosphere. Some great people, large workforce. Good facilities, benefits. Work/life balance can be good. Environmental/Social ethics/values good (on paper).

Cons

US ownership doesn't quite get the Australian market after 3 years. Management is ruled by longstanding employees who have built their own empires and hire their mates/friends/allies, regardless of capabilities. Merchandising and Pricing teams overrule Sales, resulting in poor sales decisions and strategy. No respect for sales people - unachievable commission, low wages. Middle management is top heavy and inexperienced. Salaries are below industry average, therefore quality of workforce is in decline. Red tape is out of control - it's complicated and time consuming to get anything done. This stems from individual management teams creating processes to validate/pad out their jobs. Management from the top down needs replacing, not general employees.

Explore other reviews about Staples

5.0
12 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great store manager. Good starting point. Good store location.

Cons

Have to sell products you don't believe in. No commission

4.0
15 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Stable corporate environment Staples is a long-established retail company, so roles usually come with: Structured processes Predictable workflows Lower volatility compared to startups 2. Exposure to large-scale retail systems You get experience with: High-traffic e-commerce platforms Product catalog systems (thousands of SKUs) Order management and supply chain integration This is useful if you want to move into bigger retail or tech e-commerce companies later. 3. Good learning ground for beginners to mid-level professionals Common learning areas: Digital merchandising SEO for product pages Pricing and promotions systems Basic analytics (conversion, traffic, funnel metrics) 4. Cross-functional collaboration You typically work with: Marketing teams Merchandising teams IT / engineering Supply chain / fulfillment Good exposure to how retail ecosystems operate end-to-end. 5. Employee benefits (varies by role/location) Often includes: Health insurance Employee discounts Paid time off Corporate training resources

Cons

Limited innovation compared to tech-first companies Staples is primarily a retail company, so: Processes can be traditional Innovation may move slower than in Amazon/Shopify-type environments 2. Tooling may feel legacy-heavy Depending on team, you may work with: Older CMS or merchandising tools Internal systems that are not always modern or flexible 3. Role specialization can be narrow Some e-commerce roles can become repetitive: Product page updates Catalog maintenance Routine reporting tasks Less exposure to deep engineering or advanced product innovation unless you're in a technical team. 4. Moderate salary growth compared to big tech Compared to companies like Amazon, Microsoft, or Google: Compensation growth may be slower Bonus structure can be more conservative

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