From: Selling office supplies
To: Building a community for lifelong learning
Office supplies had become commoditized and customers increasingly turned to Amazon for quick and easy fulfillment. In addition, “work” had changed; more people were freelancing, and supplementing full time jobs with gigs that fed their hobbies and passions. Targeting customers who were committed to lifelong learning, Staples reinvented themselves as “The Working and Learning Company” along with this they were looking for help envisioning their future customer experience.
Beyond products, customers want support, advice and a community. This necessitated drastic changes to their customer experience, both online and in store.
Our Approach
Acting as their Chief Experience Officer, we took the helm in shaping the Customer Experience from ideation to execution. Collaborating closely with the Staples USR Leadership Team, Internal Studio, Dev Team, and External Agency, we played the crucial role of the connective thread, refining strategies and enhancing the overall experience.
Our journey commenced with launching the new Staples Connect website. We didn't just revamp its look; we crafted an immersive journey, introducing a community business directory, refining e-commerce, and adding a dynamic thought leadership section.
The collaboration didn't end there. We continued our efforts, creating a tailored loyalty strategy for teachers, parents, and small business owners. Following the digital platform's reveal, we extended our impact to the physical realm. Store modifications included enhancements to the coworking space, recycling program, streamlining the checkout experience (ship to home), and more.
Our approach was more than change; it was about creating a memorable experience — a transformation echoing through every interaction, whether digital or in-store.
Ecommerce
To breathe life into our strategy, we transformed the e-commerce experience into a vibrant community hub. We localized content, product reviews, solutions, and services, creating a personalized journey.
We built customer profiles organically and through inferred data, prioritizing community voices (teachers, local business owners) over traditional factors like price and product details.
How it works:
Category and product pages adapt to each customer's local community. They see reviews and trending products from familiar faces like teachers, principals, or friends.
Product images go beyond the ordinary – they showcase photos from customers, turning product pages into a snapshot of a classroom wall or a local business's new office setup.
Throughout the website, community modules thrive, showcasing trending products at local schools, featured shopping lists from teachers, and social elements like asking friends, teachers, or parents questions directly on the site. Users can upvote, watch live in-store or in-school demo videos, and more.
Loyalty
Staples Connect celebrates customers with rewards tailored to their distinct work, learning, and community support preferences.
How it works:
Customers earn points by shopping at Staples or engaging in actions like recycling ink cartridges, joining a business directory, or participating in a brief survey.
These earned points unlock exciting rewards, such as a $50 Gift Card, Google Chromebook, or a new binder.
For a generous touch, customers can also donate points (with an X multiplier) to their favorite teacher, local school, or community group.
Omni-channel
We reimagined the physical retail space, dedicating thirty to forty percent to networking, customer-led learning, local product discovery, and community building. In-store, the digital experience became a seamless connection point for community members and sales associates, offering live chat experiences and serving as a tool for inspiration, product details, or booking spaces.
Each store featured a community experience highlighting ongoing events, ways to connect with associates, booking options for coworking/podcast spaces, weekly challenges (donations, recycling, school events), and more. This digital hub became the heart of community engagement.
The Breakthrough Project
Local businesses not only contributed to community growth but also brought forth remarkable products. The Breakthrough project introduced new products and supported local entrepreneurs. Each product vignette in-store came with digital tools (iPad/Mobile) enabling real-time chats with inventors/businesses, product demos, videos, and more. Not to mention a new ship to home feature that connected to a new inventory platform.
Small Business Directory
Growth and community connection thrived through the Small Business Directory. Businesses could list for free, gaining promotion across both digital and in-store experiences. Local businesses were prominently featured on the website, and the directory became a focal point of in-store signage. Associates actively supported these businesses, fostering growth.
My Role:
Leading a dynamic team of creatives, business consultants, and brand strategists, my primary focus was spearheading the customer experience strategy. This encompassed conducting qualitative research, mapping customer journeys, and facilitating workshops, interactions and presentations with their Senior Leadership Team. Building on these insights, I crafted the core experience parameters and provided the initial wireframes and new journey for their new ecommerce, community directory, omni-channel and loyalty experiences. These served as a blueprint, guiding our creative team in expanding and refining the envisioned customer experience.
Team:
Lead, Customer Experience and Digital Strategy: Kevin Hisko
Brand Consultant: Kate Moore
Creative Direction, Digital: Bronwyn Anderson
Digital Art Director: Nelson Wong
Project Management: Dustin Nantais
Creative Direction Enviro: Cristiano Cartolano
Writer: Andy Lyberopoulos