Dive Brief:
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Home improvement retailer Home Depot has plans to expand its professional-oriented delivery service to most of its markets by this spring, ProSales reported, following the 2015 acquisition of maintenance and repair products company Interline.
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J.T. Rieves, the vice president of Home Depot’s pro business, told ProSales that it has started by offering same-day and four-hour delivery, with plans for two-hour delivery in the future. Currently, few products are delivered. The company also offers an online-order, in-store pickup service.
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The company’s pro business accounts for 4% of its customers and 40% of its annual sales, focusing primarily on maintenance and repair workers as well as small remodeling contractors. With the move to expand its delivery options, the company hopes to accommodate larger builders and remodelers.
Dive Insight:
Home Depot joins other big-box home improvement retailers looking to grab a bigger slice of the pro market by adding products and services to their pro divisions such as online ordering, loyalty discounts and credit cards, B2B E-Commerce reported.
Rival Lowe’s relaunched LowesForPros.com in 2015 in a bid to help professionals purchase products and track their delivery on a desktop or mobile device. It also allows pros to pick up items in-store or have them delivered to the job site.
Lowe’s, which has more than 200 pro-oriented sales representatives, said in its third-quarter 2016 call with investors that it is looking to grow its ProServices team. It also noted that it continued to experience solid demand from pro customers in lumber and building materials, along with tools and hardware.
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