The Home Depot History: From Small Hardware Store to Home Improvement Giant

Amy Smith
3 min readFeb 17, 2023

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Home Depot has grown to dominate the DIY Do-it-Yourself space over the past 30 years thanks to a clear focus on providing the best customer experience.

The company has employed industry-leading marketing techniques like dominance of Big Box stores and online expansion. Retail and B2C marketers should take a cue from Home Depot’s approach to providing customers with simple, enjoyable product browsing and shopping experiences.

For more than three decades, construction workers, businessmen and ordinary people have made Home Depot their first stop for home renovation and construction. Home Depot is America’s largest tool retailer with more than 2,300 retail locations nationwide. It is also a significant supplier of building supplies including lumber and concrete.

Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, two former executives of Handy Dan Home Improvement Centers, founded Home Depot in 1978. The company began as a small warehouse in Atlanta, Georgia, and quickly grew to become one of the country’s largest home improvement retailers.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Home Depot expanded its footprint by opening new stores and acquiring smaller home improvement retailers across the country.

Home Depot’s DIY Do it yourself slogan emphasizes the brand’s commitment to providing customers with the tools and resources they need to tackle their projects and get things done. The slogan was first introduced in 2019 and has since become a signature phrase for the brand.

Key Statistics

  • The Home Depot was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
  • Home Depot now has over 2,300 stores in North America, South America, and Europe and is one of the world’s largest employers.
  • The Home Depot employs over 300,000 people
  • The company’s online sales have grown significantly in recent years, accounting for more than 14.4 % of total sales in 2022.
  • Home Depot’s annual revenue was $43.8B in 2022
  • Home Depot is the largest home improvement retailer in the world, with a market share of approximately 17%

Home Depot History

Successful entrepreneurs Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank recognized an opportunity to establish a one-stop shop for Do-It-Yourself (DIY) and home improvement enthusiasts. In Atlanta, Georgia, they found the first Home Depot location in 1978, providing a large assortment of materials and trained employees to assist customers with their projects.

Despite facing tough competition from established hardware stores, The Home Depot quickly became a popular choice among homeowners and contractors alike.

The company’s dedication to innovation and customer service has been a major contributor to its success throughout the years.

  • With over 100 locations and $1 billion in yearly sales by the end of the 1980s. The Home Depot had grown to be the biggest home improvement shop in the nation.
  • The company was one of the first home improvement retailers to offer customers the ability to shop online.
  • In the DIY and home renovation sectors, Home Depot has had a significant impact.
  • Home Depot has changed the way individuals approach home improvement tasks, making it easier and more accessible for consumers to do this work on their own.
  • Home Depot has contributed to shaping the industry’s future by embracing sustainability and innovation and opening the way for new goods and innovations.

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Amy Smith

Amy is the content manager at PROS — Internet Marketing & Technology Company in San Diego https://www.internetsearchinc.com/