Home Depot Update

[GROVER]

I know this NG has flogged this topic before but here's a little HD update. Todays Wall Street Journal has a (section D) front page article, describing some of their shortcomings and what they plan to do to improve.

They are blaming their departed CEO, Nardelli. Success has a hundred fathers, failure is an orphan.

I believe it will take a great deal of resolve and effort to alter their past mistakes. The analogy is trying to turn the loaded super tanker. There's a great deal of inertia. They sell $90 billion of merchandise per year and are the second largest retailer after WalMart.

Joe G

[Zen Cueist]

p.m. February 20, 2007

ATLANTA - As The Home Depot Inc. reported a 28 percent drop in fourth-quarter profit on Tuesday, its chief executive told analysts something they've heard before: The company plans to focus more on its retail stores and improve customer service. But this time, new CEO Frank Blake was mum on how he planned to achieve those goals, and the company did not provide guidance for 2007. Blake said he was withholding answers to those questions until Home Depot's investor conference next week. (more)

And the Magic 8-Ball he just bought on eBay arrives. :-)

[Lew Hodgett]

"GROVER" wrote: > I know this NG has flogged this topic before but here's a little HD > update. Todays Wall Street Journal has a (section D) front page > article, describing some of their shortcomings and what they plan to > do to improve. >

Guess Welch knew something when he didn't pick Nardelli to follow him.

As we once said of Nardelli's type, "His idea of long term planning is What's for lunch", which is typical for his style of slash and burn management.

He left a big pile of crap for someone to climb in order to regain customer loyality.

Lew

[nailshooter41]

Spot on, Lew. I couldn't agree more and don't know how it could have been said better.

Robert

[Mark & Juanita]

Not only did he screw up the reputation with customers, he did a lousy job on investor relations as well. Their stock hasn't moved (except downward in over 5 years). ... and for this he was supposed to get a golden parachute?

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

[Lew Hodgett]

Having spent more than a few years with the Monogram tattooed on both cheeks gives you a unique perspective.

Lew

[Greg O]

I would have never guessed they are that large. Both the local Lowes and HD pale in comparison to Menards when it comes to traffic. Lowes and HD may have 1 or 2 people manning the checkouts any time I have been there. Menards all the check out stations are manned, with people standing in line! I usually shop Lowes and HD or a local yard, just because there is less people to fight with. Greg

[nospambob]

[Cothian]

"Greg O" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

IIRC Menards is not nation wide as compared to the other two.

[darkon]

I've certainly never heard of Menards before. I live in the Cincinnati area.

[Leon]

They can start improvements with giving a 10% discount to those that use the self serve check outs. If I am paying full price I want to be waited on by a person.

[CW]

Quite true. None around here (Seattle).

[CW]

I agree completely. They are, in effect, giving you the opportunity to do their job for them, with no incentive.

[Mark & Juanita]

Well there is the incentive that you can often get out faster (if you are buying the right i.e. well-marked merchandise). Not having to deal with the body-pierced teenage goth moving at the speed of molasses who can't find the right barcode on the merchandise of the customer in front of you is a pretty big incentive.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

[Edwin Pawlowski]

May be true in some cases, but keep an eye on the DIY registers. Too often they have people with no clue and it takes them four times the time a regular cashier will check out a customer.

[Leon]

Wrong, ;~) That body-pierced teenage goth moving at the speed of molasses who can't find the right barcode on the merchandise was promoted to head cashier over the self serve isles. He is your "go to" guy when you buy a washer, or a bolt, or anything not packaged.

[Leuf]

But then how would they pay the guy who's job it is to stand behind the self serve checkouts not doing anything?

-Leuf

[J. Clarke]

Actually he is doing something. He's pressing the button that clears the "please place item in the checkout area" message every time somebody checks something too light to register on the scale that they use to determine that something has been placed in the checkout area.

Lowes on the other hand just lets the customer clear that message.