by Freedonia Industry Studies
November 3, 2021
For many homeowners considering a DIY home improvement project, a trip to the local big-box retailer was traditionally an integral part of the job – whether it was to window shop, visualize the new kitchen or bathroom, or to select and buy the materials needed for the project.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered many of these traditional patterns:
The home improvement industry has looked for ways to continue to reach customers, with firms adding lockers for storing purchased goods for future pickup by a consumer or expanding delivery options (so that products are unloaded when fewer people are at a job site). However, most of these services were directed to construction professionals and not the DIY consumer.
Recently, though, Home Depot announced a new program to enhance shopping for the DIYer. The company will partner with Wal-Mart’s Walmart GoLocal delivery business to provide same- and next-day shipping to both DIYers and construction professionals. Consumers can order the full range of Home Depot’s product line – from lumber to lighting, paint to plumbing products – from the comfort of their homes and offices and have them delivered – at a desired time – to a place of their choosing. Indeed, for many DIYers, this is a godsend, as the delays caused by the return trip to the store will be eliminated (hopefully!)
As e-commerce becomes more entrenched in the US economy, it is not surprising that companies will expand their delivery offerings to maintain – if not expand – sales.
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