Substantially better

The year 2010 turned out considerably better for the two leaders of the DIY market, Home Depot and Lowe’s, than the preceding ones. For the first year since 2006 Home Depot was able to report sales growth. Profit was up by 29.7 per cent in 2010, and like-for-like sales by 2.9 per cent, although the stores in Canada recorded sales down in comparable terms. In addition to the general economic recovery after the crisis, operational measures undertaken by both companies were also responsible for this positive progress. Home Depot, for instance, has modified its logistics concept, and Lowe’s has invested in a field organisation to provide customer service on the spot. A detailed comparison of the two companies complete with key figures and economic indicators can be found under the Trade Topics heading in DIYglobal plus (see below: Other Articles on this Topic).