The Home Depot, Atlanta, GA, which sold off its wholesale operations mid-2007 but continues to target professionals with its Own the Pro initiative, needed a more effective way to manage inventory for its lower-volume stores and seasonal and promotional products.
The existing Home Depot supply chain worked great for high-volume stores, which had no trouble making frequent orders to vendors for direct store delivery to allow them good in-stocks and inventory turnover,”Mark Holifield, Home Depot’s Senior Vice President-Supply Chain, told analysts in HD’s recent annual earnings results call with analysts.
“But in lower-volume stores, without an effective central distribution network, our store associates are forced every day to make the tough choice of being …