'Bloodbath' Layoffs Hit Staples

By Susan Petroni/Patch

Staples is reportedly laying off hundreds of employees.

Fortune Magazine reported the layoffs involve senior and junior level employees.

Staples, based in Framingham, said in a release it is undergoing leadership changes and streamlining its structure. There was no mention of layoff in the press release, according to Framingham MA Patch.

According to the Fortune Magazine source, “It was a bloodbath.”

Staples has more than 2,000 stores worldwide, including more than 100 in New England.

Staples is fighting the SEC in regards to a merger with Office Depot.

“We are streamlining the organization and building a simplified structure that will speed decision-making and enable us to focus on driving profitable growth,” said Ron Sargent, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, in a press release issued today. “These changes will help us compete in a rapidly evolving marketplace, either as a standalone company or in combination with Office Depot.”

Staples has numerous stores in New Hampshire, including Amherst, Bedford, Concord, Dover, Londonderry, Nashua, Newington, Plaistow, and Salem.

Along with the merger efforts, the company has also been trying to expand its business with a partnership with the U.S. Postal Service. This proposal was met with protests in Concord two years ago.