Staples launches unified supplier platform

Framingham, Mass. — Staples Inc. has long prided itself on making things for customers. Now the retailer is trying to do the same for suppliers with Staples Exchange, a unified platform that allows vendors to sell through all of Staples’ e-commerce channels, with multiple integration options. Staples does not require vendors to use a third party that charges integration fees, instead giving them a single portal to enroll with all of Staples’ sites.



Currently vendors can use Staples Exchange to sell through Staples.com, and coming in 2015, Staples Advantage, Staples Canada and Quill.com. Once enrolled, vendors can upload their products and start receiving orders, with no-cost access to real time alerts, reporting by channel and self-service tools to manage their inventory.



Other features vendors receive through Staples Exchange include:

• Real time and historical reporting dashboard;

• An automated onboarding program provided by Staples;

• Visibility of their order life-cycle;

• The ability to assign access for employees based on their role.



Future enhancements to the platform will let vendors update product costs and give them access to their product catalogs.

Staples says Staples Exchange will also benefit customers by providing them with a larger product assortment, post-shipment order tracking and greater visibility into product inventory.



“Staples Exchange allows our vendors to rapidly integrate with us, bringing even more products and services to our customers,” said Faisal Masud, executive VP, global e-commerce, Staples. “We want to make things easy for our customers and our suppliers, so they can make more happen with their businesses. I’m proud of the innovation behind our proprietary platform, which will grow in importance as we continue to increase the number of items available on Staples.com.”