Simon Rodrigue: How Staples leveraged a best-in-breed "modular" approach to complete a digital transformation in a fraction of the time, and cost.

Discover how Simon Rodrigue recently led Staples through a complete digital transformation in a fraction of time (and cost) using a best-in-breed "modular" approach to ecommerce. 

With over 300 retail locations, and a plethora of services (print, wholesale, school etc), plus managing unique pricing for the Staples Preferred program, syncing an ecommerce solution between it all that ties in seamlessly, managing pricing, curbside pickup, and other aspects was no small feat! 

Simon is someone who understands ecommerce like very few. Staples is evolving, and so is their digital presence.  This episode gives a glimpse into how they think about ecommerce, their approach to solving it, and how this sets them up for success in the future. 

The best thing about Simon and Staples, is they really are just getting started! 

 

Some of the topics we discuss:

• Build vs Buy and how Staples thinks about solving complex ecommerce requirements. 
• How has the pandemic affected Staples and lessons they've learned adapting.
• How their ecommerce tech-stack allows them agility and flexibility never before possible. 
• What it was like launching a digital solution for curbside pickup across 300+ stores in under 72hours
• How Stapes de-risked the move from their legacy systems to their new modular (best of breed), approach.

Our Guest: Simon Rodrigue

Simon Rodrigue is a recognized leader in the retail transformation taking place today, with over 15+ years of executive experience in the space. Most notably, Simon is the SVP and Chief Digital Officer at STAPLES Canada where he is a key member of the leadership team transforming one of Canada's most iconic retail brands.

 

Simon was also the former SVP of eCommerce for Walmart Canada where he was responsible for all aspects of the online business, technology, digital marketing, and integration with stores in Canada. During this time, in addition to rapidly growing the business, he introduced store pickup and grocery home shopping to the Canadian market.

 

Simon was also the VP of Product Management / Site Experience North America as well as General Manager of Canada at Travelocity. He was the Associate Vice President of eCommerce at Sears Canada and held several operational and merchandising leadership roles within The Home Depot Canada before serving as their Senior Manager of eCommerce and Interactive Marketing launching Homedepot.ca into the Canadian marketplace. He also served as a Senior Business and Marketing Consultant with Nortel Networks Global Services, enabling start-ups and aiding Fortune 50 companies to develop global emerging business strategies.