The Home Depot Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

The berth storeIntroductionRetailing create supply stores have become a popular retail persistence sector due to increased public aw atomic number 18ness and the need of numerous homeproprietors for the home benefit products. Back in the 1970s, long before warehouse stores ruled home improvement land, do-it-yourselfers shopped at home centers. These 30,000 square introduction stores offered cheaper prices and wider selection of products, about 25,000 more than local hardware stores and eliminated the extra wind up to the lumberyard. The dep land upence of many of these retailers upon the homebuilding industry for much of their business has also been lessen and the warehouse superstores, such as Home Depot, have become more important. The smaller companies in the retail building supply industry are facing economic difficulties as the industry leaders continue to loom and warehouse super centers are becoming more evident. Company OverviewFounded in 1978, The Home Depot i s the world largest home improvement retailer and the tertiary largest retailer in the United States followed by Lowes Companies, Inc. At the end of fiscal year 1999, the company was operating 930 stores, including 854 Home Depot stores, 15 Expo Design Center stores and 2 Villagers Hardware stores in the United States 53 Homes Depot in Canada 4 Home Depot stores in Chile and 2 Home Depot stores in Puerto Rico. In addition, they operated wholly owned subsidiaries Apex Supply Company, Georgia Lighting, Maintenance store and National Blinds and Wallpaper. They approximately employed 201,000 associates at the end of the year. The company has been publically held since 1981. In 1978 when Bernard Marcus and Arthur Blank, executives with Handy Dan Home Improvement Centers, found themselves out of go away after a corporate takeover at Handy Dan. get together by Ronald Brill another Handy Dan employee and Pat Farrah, former owner of Homeco, the worlds first home improvement warehou se, they mapped out proposal for a bigger and better store catering to the needs of do-it-yourselfers.These storage warehouse type stores, each averaging about 130,000 square feet, stock 40,000 to 50,000 home improvement products and are aimed mainly at the do-it-yourself trade. The stores however also clear many professional-building contractors. Products include lumber, floor and wall covering, hardware, paint, plumbing supplies, and tools. Home... ...eferencesLowes Companies, Inc. Declares exchange Dividend, PR Newswire, June 12, 2000In an Expansion Mode, Lowes Sharpens its guest Focus, The Weekly newspaper publisher for the Home Furnishing Network, June 5, 2000 p19Lowes Companies Inc., The wall Street Journal, June 1, 2000Lowes Outlines Focus on Customers at Annual Meeting, Pr Newswire, May 26, 2000Lowes Eyes Markets for Growth, embodied Financing Week, April 17, 2000, p3Retailing building supply industry, The value Line investment funds Survey, April 14,2000, p881Lowe s Annual Report, Fiscal Year 1999, Available at http//www.Lowes.com/Home Depot Annual Report, Fiscal Year 1999, Available at http//homedepot.com/Customer Service that is above and beyond, Philadelphia Business Journal, April 7, 2000 p42Were No.1 The Market Loves Top Dogs. Should you?, Fortune, edge 6,2000 p446The Home Depot reports 29% Increase in First tooshie Net Earning Comparable chisel in Sales up 7%, PR Newswire, May 16, 2000The Home Depot Looks to Floor Industry Test Store Opens in Dallas this Summer, The weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network, March 27, 2000 p1Carving a New Niche, Do It Yourself Retailing, September 1999, p49