June 13, 2019 – The prominent orange that covers the massive store fronts of The Home Depot stores across the world began as the idea of two DIYers who wanted to help people create the homes of their dreams.
Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank talked up the idea of creating a space where shoppers could come in, find supplies and tools they needed, and receive knowledge from trained associates eager to help. They imagined a store where not only could you find everything you needed for your next project in one place, but also somewhere customers could learn how to do the project from a knowledgeable staff.
That vision became a reality in 1979, when the first two Home Depot stores were built in Atlanta, Georgia. The company then went public in 1981.
By 1990, The Home Depot became the largest home improvement retailer in the country. Four years later, they began their expansion up north to Canada and in 2002 expanded further down to Mexico.
The Home Depot started to make considerable investments in their supply chain in 2007, when they opened their first Rapid Deployment Center, a major advancement in supply chain within the retail industry. The company continues to improve and recently announced plans to build 170 new distribution locations with a $1.2 billion investment it its supply chain. They will also install pickup lockers in stores, allowing customers to order online and pick up at the store same day.
Today, The Home Depot has grown to more than 2,200 stores across North America, averaging around 105,000 square feet per store.
Goodman Real Estate has built a relationship with The Home Depot over the past 20 years. It was the first Home Depot deal in Mentor, Ohio, in 1999 that help propel our real estate company into who we are today. To date, we have completed 17 deals with the home improvement leader.