Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement retailer. It was founded in 1978 and has been on Fortune magazine's list of the 500 largest companies in the U.S. since 2008.
A store-focused network of 930 retail locations, including 447 company-owned stores, throughout North America. Like its competitors, Lowes and Sears, Home Depot seeks to provide positive customer experiences through a wide range of options for homeowners who seek or need immediate solutions and customers who are more interested in long-term investments.
Home Depot has been in the headlines, particularly in recent years. The company was ranked by Fortune magazine as the second-most admired company after Wal-Mart. Forbes also ranked it as one of the best places to find an effective leader and the fifth most admired employer.
Home Depot sells branded and private label products, such as those manufactured by Signature Hardware.
Home Depot has been in the news over the past few years regarding its advertising practices. In 2011 it filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against Lowe's, alleging that it engaged in deceptive advertising practices concerning rebates offered at Lowe's stores. In late 2014 Home Depot announced that it had reached an agreement to resolve this matter.
Today, the typical store averages $2.7 million in annual revenues and has approximately $15 million in annual gross profit.
From the day it was founded to the present day, Home Depot has been on a mission of bringing homeowners into its stores and getting them to do more around their homes.
Home Depot conducts nearly 1 billion product searches each year, which helps generate new business from customers looking for specific products or brands that they don't find elsewhere.
Home Depot has also added more than 1,100 new items to its online store, more than doubling the product offering of the past year.
One of Home Depot's most important initiatives today is to build its network of stores in the U.S. and Canada. This is extremely important because it gives customers a place where they can find everything they need for their homes, including appliances and home improvement products and professional advice when needed.
