The malls are closed; the streets are quiet; and most parking lots are eerily empty. But in my neighborhood — and across the country — Home Depot is a hub of activity.
Home Depot, which like other hardware stores is deemed an essential business during the current quarantine, is doing a booming business. In addition to contractors, it seems that folks who are sheltering at home have found time and incentive to work on spring landscaping, decorating projects, and oft-delayed home improvements.
And, Home Depot is there — at the store, online, in an app for mobile devices, and in homes via weekly circulars and print catalogs — to inspire and serve them. From gorgeous, staged scenes in the catalog (print and on the website) to individual store maps on their app to curbside pickup at stores, Home Depot knows what their customers want and how they want it.
Progressive and sophisticated, Home Depot sells to both B2B and B2C markets. With “One Home Depot,” they’ve invested in brick-and-mortar upgrades and innovative technology. And, their marketing team has brilliantly employed omnichannel tools to maximize reach, frequency, and engagement.
In addition to website and mobile app promotions, Home Depot relies on print catalogs. Currently they have two catalogs in distribution: a Spring 2020 book of 40+ pages of home décor, soft goods, and lots of beautifully staged settings; and a 20+ catalog featuring power tools, kits, and tips from RYOBI. The print catalogs, which have online versions on Home Depot’s website, create a visible presence in-home and away from devices.
That tangible, visible catalog seems more important than ever as people work from home and reduce outside trips in 2020. Opportunities to step away from electronic devices and grab a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine or a cold beer) and enjoy perusing a catalog, dreaming and planning, are frequent. And connecting the dream to immediate accessibility and purchase online — genius!
Home Depot’s omnichannel marketing aligns with its overall corporate strategy and it reveals a company that knows its customers — professionals and do-it-yourselfers — and how to serve them and drive sales and revenue. Kudos to a retailer who knows “How Doers Get More Done” and how to get them shopping at Home Depot.
Bruce Gregoire is founder and CEO of WiseGuys Marketing, in Falls Church, VA. Since 1998, WiseGuys proprietary software has helped catalog mailers target their customers with the right offer at the right time — using R-F-M algorithms and data-driven ROI.
