In 2017, big-box home improvement retailer Home Depot (HD 0.21%) embarked on a plan to revamp same-day and next-day delivery services as digital ordering became increasingly relevant. It announced a $1.2 billion investment in restructuring its distribution system and has been following up on that with new initiatives to reach more customers more quickly.
On Tuesday, the company said that it will open three distribution centers in the greater Atlanta area, each one serving a different customer base.
The three new facilities are expected to bring 1,000 new jobs to the Atlanta area, and the company is already beginning to hire 600 workers for the first center. That 657,600-square-foot facility is meant to replenish goods at southeastern U.S. retail stores.
Image source: Home Depot.
The other two centers are slated to open in 2021. One is being planned as a flatbed delivery center and will ship large-size pro orders directly to construction sites. The other will fulfill institutional orders, either same-day or next-day, for repair, operational, and maintenance products.
Stephanie Smith, the company's senior vice president for supply chain development and delivery, said: "Retail has changed more in the past four years than in our company's 40-year history. Customers expect to shop whenever, wherever and however they want."
Home Depot is the largest U.S. home improvement company, with 2,293 stores across the U.S. and in Canada and Mexico, but its competitor Lowe's (LOW 0.95%) had greater growth in the first quarter, during the pandemic. Home Depot will report second-quarter earnings on Aug. 18.
