...Home Depot popular concept of “do it yourself” for clients seeking to build, repair and improve their homes. Home Depot stores were equipped with a wide range of home improvement products and knowledgeable staff are ready to help customers choose the right products, tools and materials, and even explain how to use them. To some extent, Home Depot store managers “do it yourself” as well. For the first 20 years, Home Depot has been known for its entrepreneurial spirit and launched, and unofficially. Store managers who wanted to be an expert in home improvement, made their goods-planning decisions and have considerable autonomy in running their shops. Purchase was decentralized. As it grew in size, many companies believe that a more disciplined approach to operations will be important for future growth. In 2000, the company has hired Bob Nardelli, a former executive GE, to bring change. As chairman and CEO Nardelli centralized sales and purchases and brought technological discipline to store operations, simplification and standardization of processes and product implementation Six Sigma quality methodology. Nardelli changes led to higher profitability. However, the stock Home Depot has remained almost unchanged during his term in office, and some aspects of customer service significantly affected. These results raise an important issue not only for Home Depot, but also for other companies in which employees perform as routine associated with the production of non-standard measures...
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... What most people think is the two stores are supposed to be marked towards the same market, but really they are not design to please the same kind of customers, the Home Depot is concentrated more to provide hardware for contractors and professionals, with this in mind is easy to say the majority of males are constructors or contractors specialists and prefer shop at Home Depot their hardware. The company is positioning itself to benefits from the industry of sales products to do-it-yourself (DIY) customers. On the other side Lowe’s competes extremely well against Home depot head to head. I would say they had been more concern in the store layout and design, the stores are brighter and more user friendly than Home Depot and this normally attracts more female shoppers, who are making an increasing percentage of home improvement decisions. Lowe’s positioning itself to benefits from a industry segment of do-it-for-me (DIFM) customers, this segment is growing much more than the do-it-yourself (DIY), for this reason Lowe’s is offering more services including installations, repair and home improvements. 2 – Explain the differences in men’s and women’s attitudes about product selection and pricing at Lowe’s and Home Depot. 3 – Discuss whether Lowe’s should have distinct merchandising strategies for men and women shoppers. 4 – Explain the criteria that Lowe’s should...
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...can enter the Indian market, and describe our strategy for how Home Depot might successfully expand globally into India. We believe that Home Depot can gain great value from entering India following our strategy. Introduction and Background Home Depot was founded in 1978 by Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus. They originally started with two stores in the Atlanta area with about 60,000 square feet each. These stores dwarfed the competition in not only size but also in product offering and availability. They started off offering over 25,000 different SKU’s to customers in everything from power tools to simple easy to use items such as tape and glue (Home Depot). The goal was, as a company, to target and create a market for the “Do it Yourself” or “DIY” market. Until the arrival of Home Depot there was such a market but only local mom and pop shops competed. Home Depot provided a place where they could provide a one-stop shop for DIY and could also provide the “know-how” necessary to complete these home projects. Home Depot associates undergo rigorous training and education in their perspective departments in order to provide the best customer service possible (Home Depot). Home Depot was an overnight success and in 1981 went public on NASDAQ then subsequently moved to the NYSE in 1984. Home Depot was the fastest growing US retailer at the time opening up its 100th...
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...Your Home is a Good Place, Inc. 1. Does YHGP have a viable market? Are there enough customers as envisioned by Norwalk to support his vision? Examine the tabulated US Census data and prepare supporting documentation for your answer. * Uniqueness of industry may help Norwalk gain success. * There are 33,353/319,290 households that have an income of 100k or more. Norwalk wants to obtain five customers a month that clear 100k a year to pay 10k or more on projects; that only requires 60 households for Norwalk’s idea of success. 2. Are there customer groups that Norwalk is omitting from his target group? If so, why should Norwalk consider expanding his market base? * Anyone under yearly income of 100k, age, demographics. * Create more business and marketing to himself and contractors involved 3. Norwalk has chosen to approach female customers as the decision makers. Is this limiting his abilities to expand his business? * Discussion SITUATION (OVERVIEW): Bill Norwalk is an entrepreneur in his 50’s that has a background in marketing and wants to launch a new industry that satisfies homeowner customer needs. BACKGROUND (OVERVIEW OF CASE): Norwalk’s construction experience taught him that traditional home improvement was an iffy proposition for both contactors and home owners. YHGP was attended by homeowners, contractors, and other service providers in the “one stop” environment that emphasized convenience as a marketing strategy. Norwalk knew...
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...___ _______________________________________________________________ Report Information from ProQuest 06 March 2014 07:55 _______________________________________________________________ Archives & Bibliothèques de l'Université Libre de Bruxelles 06 March 2014 ProQuest Table des matières 1. Home Depot exits China............................................................................................................................... 1 06 March 2014 ii ProQuest Document 1 sur 1 Home Depot exits China Lien de document ProQuest Liens: Vlink Texte intégral: DIY giant Home Depot is to pull out of China as it plans to close its remaining big-box stores after failing to find the right store format and do-it-yourself culture in the country. The retailer is shuttering its last seven stores in the country, resulting in 850 job losses.The closures follow that of its final store in Beijing in January. Home Depot will keep two speciality shops in Tianjin selling paint and flooring and home decoration.Home Depot chief executive Frank Blake said: "Closing stores is always a difficult decision. We are thankful for the dedicated service of our store associates in China, and we wish them all the best during this transition."According to retail analysts, Home Depot did not find the right business format for one of the world's most difficult home improvement markets, said the Financial Times.Analyst at China Market Research group in Shanghai James Roy said:...
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...Home Depot Business Environment The Home Depot is the world’s largest do-it-yourself home improvement retailer that was founded over thirty years ago in Atlanta Georgia by Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank (The Home Depot, 2011). Through the lifespan, The Home Depot expanded from a two store operation into the fourth largest grossing retail store as reported by the Fortune 500 listings (CNN Money, 2012). Strategies like price matching, environmentally friendly supplies, introducing Home Depot brands and services, and offering clinics to patrons assisted in Home Depot dominating the do-it-yourself home improvement market. Throughout the lifecycle of Home Depot there have been numerous changes; markets, consumers, direction, and leadership to name a few. Home Depot made adjustments along the way and endured the constant waves of change and in the process developed the orange blooded culture enjoyed by employee and customer. Things change and the Home Depot understand this simple value, but constant is the orange apron and everything it stands for. To date the Home Depot remains a sound corporation even through the recession and unfavorable markets and is in a prime position to generate stronger ROA, ROIC, and ROE measures relative to their closest competitor Lowe’s (Sozzi, 11/2). The pages that follow will analyze The Home Depot and examine what differences it has from the closest competitors. Taking a brief look into the culture behind the store, how Home Depot...
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...Lowe’s sells a wide-range of home improvement products in its large, warehouse-style stores ranging from appliances to tools, paint, lumber, and nursery products. Lowe’s stocks 40,000 products in 16 categories (Lowes, 2012). Besides the products on hand they also offer hundreds of products by special order – offering. Lowe’s also offers installation services for some of their products as well. They offer installation services to more than 40 products. Examples of their installation products are appliances, bath, kitchen, plumbing, flooring, windows, doors, window treatments, lighting, and insulation among others (Lowe’s 2012). The installation service targets various customers. Customers in the older group and also people who are not DIY (do- it- yourselfers) as well as women and people on the go, which have no time. Lowe’s carries numerous brands in each product groups recommending a variety of price points for customers. For instance, in the appliance group Lowe’s stocks a lower-end brand named Tappan. In this brand the price for appliances are more affordable for customer rather than a high- end brand. A good example, Lowe’s stocks a dish washer made by Tappan that sells for $229 and also sells a dishwasher made by Kitchen-Aid for $1,349 (Lowe’s...
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..."The Home Depot NYSE: HD, headquartered in Vinings, Georgia, is a home improvement retailer that aims for both the do-it-yourself consumer and the professional in home improvement and construction. It is the second largest retailer in the United States, behind Wal-Mart; and the third largest retailer in the world, behind Wal-Mart and French company Carrefour. The Home Depot operates about 1,900 stores across North America. The company operates stores in the United States (including the 50 states, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands), Canada, and Mexico. The Home Depot also operates EXPO Design Center stores in select U.S. markets, providing high-end home design products and services. Its 2004 sales totaled US $73.1 billion. It was ranked #13 on FORTUNE magazine's FORTUNE 500 The Home Depot also owns a chain of higher-end home decorating and appliance stores. The Home Depot employs over 325,000 people." The company was founded in 1978 in Atlanta, Georgia by Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, and grew rapidly, with sales topping $1 billion annually by 1986. From the moment of its foundation, HD has continued to grow constantly by targeting strong markets with many new homeowners and young people such as New Orleans. Home Depot managed to grow fast by quickly adapting to change and continued to be successful by holding fast to the culture and values of the organization. The constant renewal and the work to sustain culture that produces good products, employees, and customers...
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...keep it customers. * MSC money reported that in the 1st quarter in 2011 same store sales went down to 0.6% * New York times indicated that n 2011 4th quarter sales went up to 5.7% * MSC money reported that in the 1st quarter in 2011 same store sales went down to 0.6% * New York times indicated that in 2011 4th quarter same store sales went up to 5.7% Opportunities * In 2013 spring season they plan on hiring more people, more than 80,000 according to cnn money website. * With this added on plan, home depot expects to not only supply jobs but develop great workers who will hopefully increase profit for the spring THREATS * Their competitor lowes Business strategy * Pricing strategy to create values to the customer, do not repeat promotions from previous years GENERAL ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS * EconomicNature and direction of the economy in which a firm competes or may compete. * Economic recession- home improvement industry categorized as recession proof product * Housing market * Increased restrictions on credit availability-big ticket items financed * demographicpopulation’s size, age structure, geographic distribution, ethnic mix and income distribution * women-new Martha steward line * 20-30 yr old- establishing “first” home * Aging group- less likely to purchase new homes and instead renovate their homes. Diy motto * Political/legalcompeting for attention,...
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...American Vinyl Products, AVP, is a small manufacturer of vinyl and plastic products, such as vinyl car products, plastic after-market products, and decals for the recreational market. AVP’s customers can be divided into three groups: do-it-yourselfers (DIY), professional users, and large corporate accounts, such as American Performance Car. American Performance Car has sent the president of AVP a letter that points out AVP’s lackluster customer service and has given them an ultimatum to provide an acceptable resolution or they will leave and find another supplier. I recommend AVP to upgrade their phone system. Currently, all three different customer types go through the same phone system even though their calls are usually vastly different from one another. The DIYs call in the most per day and lasts the longest, the large corporate accounts call in the least per day and lasts the shortest, while the professional users are in between. AVP should upgrade their phone system so that it splits into three lines in order to expedite the process. They should also hire more staff, divide them up, and train them appropriately to accommodate for this. The con to doing this is that it will cost a lot of money, but I believe the revenue saved and earned from this will overtake the costs in the long run. More staff also means that even during the two hour break for lunch there will be a sufficient number of representatives. Changes should be focused on improving the experience for...
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...customer. Meanwhile, contractor sales comprise one-third of the total sales. It is necessary to pay attention both markets since there are some people, who don’t have time to do the work themselves. These people want a service that will do all the installation for them. Providing this service will lead the company to differentiate themselves among their competitors. Moreover, it will maintain a strong cash flow by selling high volume of units to the contractors. However, the service provided by the contractors must fulfill customer satisfaction. Therefore, Home Depot should also provide information to the contractors about the products and their installations. These key points will build and maintain economies of scale. Is competitive pressure from Lowe’s causing Home Depot to modify its competitive strategy? Competitive pressure by Lowe’s has caused Home Depot to aggressively upgrade its old stores. Lowe’s has a store layout strategy that focuses on women customers. They see women as a decision maker of a renovation of the houses. Hence, Home Depot has to modify their strategy to customer responsiveness rather than cost leadership. As a market leader, they are forced to shift their competitive strategy by their main competitor. The pressure from Lowe’s has also caused the company to replace the CEO in 2007. Do international Opportunities exist for Home Depot beyond North and South America? The main purpose of targeting DIY customers is...
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...Tyler Flammia CS 404 Do -It-Yourself Internet 1. He suggests communities be designed to develop commitment through internalization of characteristics and interpersonal attraction. Developing communities to show things like common interests and similar stereotypes will make a group feel united and therefore make individuals more committed. 2. a. Purpose-driven location sharing is when people share there location because there is a purpose and telling people will actually mean something and there is a specific need for the location. Social- driven location sharing has no real purpose and is done simply because it is fun letting people know where you are. b.According to "I'm the Mayor of the House" there are five factors to why people use four square. Factor one is Badges, by using Foursquare you earn badges and people like this feature and find it fun. Factor two is social connection, people claim Foursquare helps keep i touch with friends and coordinate plans easier. Factor three is place discovery, users use Foursquare to get tips and find out about new places. Factor four is keeping track of places, foursquare helps users track where they have been and when they visited there. Finally factor five is for game, Foursquare is something different to do when you go out or are bored. c. A privacy concern about Foursquare is letting people know where you are that you don't know or don't want knowing where you are. Users manage this concern by learning what to share and...
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...Do people learn from their mistakes? I believe most do, but the real question is 'How much?'. As the saying goes, "Experience is the name we give to our mistakes". The lessons we learn from life are the result of all the mistakes we've made in the past. There are two kinds of people, Those that view their mistakes as failures, and those that view it as a stepping stone to greatness. Everyone messes up occasionally, we're only human. But learning how to deal with it is a fundamental part of growing up. Some people do not give up even when they do not succeed. They refuse to accept defeat and continue to try even when common sense tells others there's no use in trying. Nobody likes making mistakes. But, unless you want to go through life as a complete recluse, you are guaranteed to make one every now and then. If you learn from mistakes correctly, they can propell you forward.You must also realize that mistakes are an essential part of self improvement. Don’t be overwhelmed with guilt and regret, analyze how you can learn from them. The importance of understanding mistakes cannot be understated. On one hand, you have people that never correctly identify their problems, blaming themselves for being inadequate and incapable of performing the task at hand. Unfortunately, it is our natural instinct to try to justify our actions. When you make a mistake, the initial reaction is to blame someone else.When mistakes are made, the boss is unlikely to be interested in justifications. We...
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...7 Cities Do It Yourself Auto Repair Assignment 2Week 8: Marketing Plan Part B Roderick D Williams Strayer University Marketing Management Professor Caitlyn Worner 6/1/14 7 Cities Do It Yourself Auto Repair The concept of 7 Cities Do It Yourself Garage did not derive from the passion of an individual repairing their own automobiles, it derived from finding a money saving solution to small auto repairs. Many people do not change their own oil, which is a very inexpensive preventive maintenance cost. Once you get the feel for doing your own oil changes, it will lead to you learning more about vehicle repairs and the amount of money saved in the process. This knowledge will come in handy especially during difficult economic down times, like the economy in 2008. As you learn more about at home car repairs, some required tools and equipment are not available for use in the driveway or garage. Researching a few backyard mechanics you will find the same problems. In addition, many people that rent homes and apartments are not allowed to work on automobiles on the premise, of the rental property; in the city of Norfolk it is illegal and by owner discretion in others. Roderick Williams has been a vendor at a local flea market for over 10 years and through his consumer connections, he was often asked does he know of someone that can fix this or repair that. Another vendor sells stereo equipment, but there is no one to install the equipment, especially on rainy days...
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...Where do you see yourself in five years? “Not looking at the price tag when I shop.” Everyone has goals for themselves, for some it’s getting out of bed in the morning, for others it’s finishing school, no matter what the goals are they are all important as long as they are reachable. For me, my goals include becoming more organized with my school work, improving my studying skills, becoming a travel nurse after finishing school, and living the life style I was raised in. These are all pretty reasonable goals, but the question is if they will be met. In order for me to become more organized with my school work I need to spend more time each day after class putting the lessons in order with the home work and with the material that needs to be studied. Using the hundreds of dividers that I own would also be an easy way to keep everything in the right place so it is easy to find. Labeling the binders I use for my class would help with my problem of organization, also bringing the same binder to the same class it belongs to would help tremendously. This is an important goal because being organized would make studying and fallowing along with most teachers much easier. This goal of mine should be accomplished by the second week of school. I will know it is achieved when I am more confident in class because I am on track if not ahead of my teacher. Improving studying skills is a very important goal of mine. You don’t pass tests with luck or good attendance, good grades are...
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