Senior Closeout Category Merchant, Retail

Staples•Framingham, MA

About The Position

Staples U.S. Retail is accelerating its off-price and closeout business, and we are seeking a Senior Closeout Category Merchant with deep experience operating in a fast-paced, opportunistic buying environment. This role is responsible for identifying, negotiating, and procuring high-value closeout deals that surprise and delight customers while driving strong financial results. You will cultivate vendor relationships, evaluate deal flow daily, and make rapid purchase decisions that support a true treasure-hunt retail experience in our stores. This is a high-impact, high-visibility role for a merchant who thrives on agility, relationship-building, and the excitement of landing exceptional deals.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in business, marketing or operations OR equivalent work experience.
6+ years of experience in off-price, opportunistic, closeout, or liquidation buying.
Proven ability to evaluate deal profitability in real time and negotiate aggressively but strategically.
Demonstrated success managing vendor relationships and securing high-value branded buys.
Strong financial acumen with expertise in margin analysis, deal modeling, sell-through management, and Open-to-Buy ownership.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment with shifting priorities.
Deep understanding of customer value perception within off-price retail.

Nice To Haves

Experience purchasing across multiple categories (general merchandise, housewares, stationery, seasonal, consumables, etc.).
Advanced negotiation training and experience handling multi-truckload or multi-million-dollar purchase commitments.
Strong market intelligence: brand cycles, excess inventory patterns, supply chain trends, and off-price competitive landscape.

Responsibilities

Opportunistic Buying & Deal Evaluation
Source, evaluate, and purchase closeout, excess inventory, and special-buy opportunities across multiple product categories.
Make fast, well-informed buying decisions based on margin targets, brand value, quality standards, and store relevance.
Partner with vendors, liquidators, manufacturers, and distributors to identify ongoing and one-time buying opportunities.
Travel to vendor locations, trade shows, and marketplaces to assess products and negotiate deals.
Vendor & Relationship Management
Build and maintain strong vendor networks to ensure a consistent pipeline of high-quality closeout offerings.
Negotiate cost, terms, freight, quantities, and multi-load opportunities to deliver the strongest value for the business.
Manage end-to-end deal flow—from discovery to purchase order to delivery into DCs and stores.
Assortment Strategy for Off-Price Retail
Curate a compelling, ever-changing assortment that supports the treasure-hunt experience central to off-price retail.
Balance branded opportunistic buys with core planned purchases to maximize customer excitement and sales productivity.
Work closely with planning and allocation to ensure right quantities, flow, and in-store presentation.
Financial Ownership
Own category financial performance including sales, gross margin, sell-through, turn, and targeted inventory levels.
Analyze deal profitability quickly and accurately to ensure purchases meet financial thresholds.
Manage OTB (Open-to-Buy) in a flexible, dynamic environment where deal flow changes daily.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Partner with Store Operations, Marketing, Allocation, Inventory Planning, and Finance to support execution of off-price strategies.
Influence partners to ensure fast movement from deal approval to store delivery.
Support in-store presentation to highlight value, brand integrity, and the treasure-hunt experience.
Team Leadership
Develop and mentor junior buyers or merchandise specialists.
Support cross-training in off-price buying practices, market trends, and negotiation strategies.