“This is the best home Depot nursery I've ever been to. Much more stuff than the one in my home town. I love the Rockville location. The workers are extremely nice and helpful. Especially Abigail and a Jamaican accented young man in the garden center.”
“Aspen Hill Home Depot is one of the larger stores I've shopped at. The Garden section is particularly well stocked in annuals and perennials. I'm posting pics of the current stock of flowers as of late August, together with their Halloween props and displays. The staff members always say hello, which is frankly, refreshing. Generally, if you're looking for something and ask a staff member, they will lead you to it rather than just tell you what aisle it's on, leaving you to search it out yourself. Taking ownership is an essential part of the customer service experience. I think customer service at Home Depot has improved in recent years, more like the early years when they were just starting out, overpowering the obsolescent Hechinger. The newer checkout system works really well, so much better than the old attendant checkout lanes, supplemented with a less efficient self checkout. The large parking lot has plenty of space and designing cart/walkway aisles separate from the travel lanes makes so much sense. It always seems 3 out of 4 times you're backing out of a parking space, someone will see you backing up and walks behind you anyway, entering outside the view of your backup camera. Bumping a car in a parking lot is one thing, bumping a pedestrian is another.”
“As always a convenient option to rent a tool instead of owning it. Can be hit and miss occasionally as some tools may be older and work out, but you should talk to an associate and examine the tool you are renting carefully for any damage or warn blades, etc. One concern is the lines can be long sometimes, too.”
Lowe's is giving its loyalty program a makeover to better serve small and mid-sized professional contractors. The home improvement retailer has changed its MVPs Pro Rewards & Partnership Program into the new MyLowe's Pro Rewards. The updated program aims to make life easier for professionals while offering more benefits from their first purchase.
Ace Hardware is reimagining itself with a new store concept. The home improvement retailer plans to invest over $1 billion in the next five years to roll out "Elevate Ace" across new and existing locations. The revamped stores will feature brand showrooms, expanded product lines, and enhanced customer service. Some locations will even boast outdoor spaces with live plant displays. Ace gave retailers a sneak peek at the concept during its recent Chicago convention. While a few stores will debut the new look later this year, the full rollout begins in January.
Ace Hardware is hammering out an impressive growth story. The retailer-owned cooperative is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a bang, reaching 5,000 U.S. stores and planning to open 200 new locations in 2024. The company hit a milestone when it opened its 100th new store this year in Henderson, Nevada. Another newcomer, Fixit Ace Hardware in Roswell, Georgia, became the 5,000th domestic Ace store.
In the latest move of its growth plan, leading paint maker Dunn-Edwards just opened 17 new retail locations throughout Northern California. This expansion of physical stores boosts the company's footprint in the region by over 50%.
The expansion caps an exciting time for the nearly 100-year-old company. With its 100th anniversary in 2025, Dunn-Edwards is strengthening its market position through planned growth focused on better serving pros, homeowners and employees.