The Home Depot plans to open four new distribution centers designed specifically for the needs of its professional customers in the first half of 2024. The DCs — to be located in Detroit, southern Los Angeles, San Antonio and Toronto — will stock large, bulky merchandise like lumber, insulation and roofing shingles that can be ordered in job lot quantities and delivered directly to professionals’ job sites.
The retailer already has opened similar pro-focused hubs across the country and expects to have 17 top pro markets equipped with new capabilities by the end of this year. In addition to the supply chain facilities, The Home Depot is building out its pro services with offerings such as:
- Localized product assortments tailored for each priority market;
- A dedicated sales force in each priority market;
- Digital tools and personalized experiences, including new order management capabilities to better manage complex pro orders;
- Trade credit, currently being piloted with a small number of pro customers; and
- Tiered pro pricing.
Additionally, The Home Depot recently acquired Construction Resources, a leading distributor of design-oriented surfaces, appliances and architectural specialty products with showrooms across the Southeast and East Coast.
“Pros need a partner with the right product, depth of product, fulfillment capabilities, sales support and management tools to help them get their jobs done,” said Chip Devine, SVP of Outside Sales for Home Depot in a statement. “Over the last several years, we have been investing to deliver a faster, more convenient, differentiated experience for our pros. Our distribution network is one piece of the comprehensive pro ecosystem we’re building to better meet the needs of this important customer.”
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Other recent moves by the company to better serve pro customers include:
- In October 2022 the retailer established a marketplace designed to connect skilled tradespeople with hiring trade professionals;
- Home Depot gave Senior Executive VP Ann-Marie Campbell responsibility for outside pro sales efforts in October 2023; and
- In January 2023 Home Depot added three new tiers to the Pro Xtra loyalty program it had launched in 2012.
