Business

Staples Inc. is the worlds largest office products company boasting with  27 billion annual sales with a profit margin of about 15 billion in the market. The company has a broad market niche as it serves North and South America, Europe and Asia. This can be attributed to the companys smart marketing strategies that have led to acquisitions that have broadened the market segment of the company with fully financed new stores opening in the emerging, markets across the U.S and the rest of the global market. In the same light, Staples successful acquired the European based Corporate Express that had established strong business roots in the supply of office merchandise to corporate and institutions across Europe (Staples, 2008).                 Nevertheless, the company is losing its profit margins to its top two competitor being Office depot and Office Max whose combined profit margins and sales volume far surpass Staples market share due to lack of proactive marketing strategies. Staples lack a closely tailored business strategy to overcome the two market rivals due to its dependency on its cheaper priced products thus offering false market security (Troy, 2003). Therefore Staples need to work on building customer confidence besides its low-priced products by engaging in aggressive public relations to redeem profits.

Staples Inc. provides services chiefly to large businesses while companies unlike OfficeMax that has thoroughly accomplished profitability in serving the broad small scaled companies and homes (Staples, 2008). With the present world recession and promotion of home-based offices connected via the web Staples has to reconsider its marketing strategy in order to cover the mushrooming home based offices through establishment of retailer based sales points instead of expansive development of branded store houses that can only serve a small niche of customers.
    The international market is a major venture that Staples Inc. has neglected thus reducing its competitiveness power in the global market. Notably, Office Depot has developed a broad international market that has increased its capital base and in return this competitor can use their financial ability to chip into the existing Staples market (Troy, 2003). Consequently, Staples management need re-draw its priorities in order to take advantage of the global market place so as to increase its operating capital to overcome future competition threats.    
    Conclusively, Staples is facing a future retail market difficult unless strategies are implemented to cover the biggest retail and international market. Common unavailability of Staples products in small markets has hindered its market expansion thus losing customers who rather use any company products.