As part of a restructuring effort, office products giant Staples is eliminating 124 positions at its retail stores in New Jersey.

In a filing with the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Massachusetts-based retailer reported the layoffs will take effect Aug. 16 at various unspecified locations across New Jersey.

A media representative for the company told NJBIZ the planned workforce reductions are not related to the closure of any particular New Jersey location. Currently, Staples has 56 stores statewide.

“We are evolving our store structure to better support our services, product offerings and customer needs,” the spokesperson said. “This involves redefining all roles and responsibilities. While some positions are being eliminated, we have created new roles and are encouraging affected employees to apply for these and other open positions within the company to retain as many team members as possible.”

Staples was founded in 1986. The retailer is known for office supplies, like paper, electronics, computer accessories, furniture and shipping supplies.

The brand has struggled over the last decade due to increased competition from online retailers and shuttered hundreds of stores.

Nationally, Staples’ retail footprint stands at about 985 locations.

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