Atlanta-based Apex Supply was acquired by The Home Depot in 1999. Saleswoman, Patricia. “Can The Home Depot repair its stock of bags?” Fortune, March 4, 1996. By the time Home Depot acquired HD Supply in late 2020, the company had 44 distribution centers in the U.S. and Canada, becoming a leading distributor of maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products. The acquisition strengthens The Home Depot`s MRO presence in the hospitality and multifamily end markets. The agreement will also help The Home Depot grow its business with larger contractors and other business customers who tend to receive business from specialized suppliers. In 1989, Home Depot became the largest hardware store in the United States, surpassing Lowe`s. In the 1990s, Home Depot was looking for ways to redefine its market. An installation program for high-quality DIY items such as windows or carpets was successfully launched in 1991 under the name EXPO.

A 480-page book, Home Improvement 1-2-3, was published in 1995. Canadian hardware chain Aikenhead`s Hardware was acquired by Home Depot in 1994 for $150 million with a 75% stake. All of Aikenhead`s hardware stores were later converted to Home Depot stores. [15] By 1995, sales had reached $10 billion with 350 stores in operation. As North America`s population ages, so does the housing stock. More and more people are investing with renewed vigour in their most valuable material asset – their home. You model, update and tackle other projects yourself. And they come to Home Depot to do their shopping. Goldbaum, Lisa. “Home Depot has a lot of fans, but some say growth might be harder to achieve.” Barron`s, 27. February 1997.

Available from kelsey.abcompass.com/abc/art/detail/7508.html. By 1989, Home Depot had surpassed Lowe`s Companies in terms of sales, becoming the largest repair line in the United States. By the end of the year, almost all outlets were using the company`s new satellite data communication network. The fast and accurate exchange of information that now connects companies has enabled continuous growth by improving the company`s responsiveness to market changes. The satellite also served as the basis for The Home Depot television network, a system that produces live programming from senior management and broadcasts it to all points of sale. The company`s net income increased 46% in 1990, and Home Depot conducted a three-to-two stock split in the same year. Sales were up 38% over 1989. With the continued growth trend in the DIY market, which resulted in a 33% increase in the number of customer transactions recorded by the company in 1990 and a 4% increase in average customer sales, Home Depot appeared to be an emerging giant in the U.S. retail market. In December 2006, Home Depot announced the acquisition of Chinese DIY retailer The Home Way. The acquisition gave Home Depot an immediate presence in China with 12 stores in six cities. On September 2, 2014, security journalist Brian Krebs reported that he had seen evidence that credit card numbers associated with Home Depot purchases were sold online, suggesting that Home Depot`s payment systems were hacked by hackers.

[109] On September 8, 2014, Home Depot confirmed that its payment systems had been compromised. [110] According to their press release, this breach affected all customers who shopped at a Home Depot store from April 2014 to September 2014. The Home Depot offered its affected customers a free one-year credit monitoring service from AllClear ID. Also in their press release, they pointed out that there was no evidence that online customers were affected by the breach. On September 18, 2014, Home Depot issued a statement stating that hackers had obtained a total of 56 million credit card numbers as a result of the breach. Since the breach, The Home Depot has introduced new encryption technology for its cash registers and self-checkout systems to protect customers.