The Home Depot History
The Home Depot was formed in 1979 by Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank in Atlanta, Georgia. Home Depot virtually revolutionized the do-it-yourself home improvement industry in the United States almost overnight. The two entrepreneurs opened their stores which were no frills warehouses. In 1998 the average Home Depot carried 35,000 products. Products varied from well known national brands to propriety Home Depot brands.
Home Depot held its IPO in 1981 and listed on the New York Stock Exchange three years later under the ticker – ‘HD’. Home Depot reached $1 billion in sales in 1986. Sales of $20 billion were reached in 1997 making them the fastest growing home improvement retailer with an average annual growth in sales of 119% during said period.
Important Issues
It is important to note that as Home Depot has grown so quickly, it has been able to garner significant concessions in prices from suppliers. Home Depot has also been able to establish and successfully execute a market saturation strategy coupled with low prices and high service. Being able to execute on these three pillars has been the hallmark of Home Depot’s strategy and will carry the company into the future.
As Home Depot continues to expand, the cost of prime real estate will rise as they compete head to head with their main competitor, Lowes. Also tied to the market saturation strategy, Home Depot stores may realize a cannibalization of sales when a nearby store opens its doors.
While expanding internationally, Home Depot will be careful to pay close att ...