Notes from Home Depot Rental
The Home Depot plans to continue rolling out rental offerings in 2021 while expanding on the wide array of tools and equipment it provides to customers.
In the second half of 2020, the company opened 10 new Rental Centers and Rental Operations Facilities in six states, including Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Montana, Texas and Wisconsin.
Altogether, The Home Depot operates more than 1,400 rental locations in the United States and Canada. This year, the company plans to focus on steady, strategic growth that delivers both customer and market needs.
“To inform our growth we conduct ongoing research to make informed decisions about expansion and are maintaining that approach into the new year,” Tony English, senior director of merchandising, rental, told HBSDealer.
English says that The Home Depot’s Rental Center inventory is designed to meet the needs of both consumers and pro customers while also anticipating what else might be necessary at a retail level.
“While the acquisition of Compact Power Equipment Rental enabled The Home Depot Rental to grow into larger equipment classes, our inventory is on the rise with the introduction of large equipment like 80-foot boom lifts and 10,000-pound telehandlers,” English says.
Today’s rental equipment at The Home Depot is a far cry from just tools. The retailer offers backhoes, trenchers, stump grinders, scissor lifts, trailers, and excavators, among other large equipment products.
Since the widening of the pandemic in 2020, The Home Depot has remained an essential retailer and kept its doors open for business. That also means that the company continues to supply customers with rental equipment and safety remains an urgent matter.
“We are keeping a close eye on things to ensure a safe rental experience for all,” English says. “While our day-to-day remains consistent, our utmost priority is keeping customers and associates safe and well.”
Educating consumers also remains essential. Rental associates are trained and equipped to coach customers on how to safely and appropriately use tools and equipment prior to each rental. Additionally, The Home Depot provides a link on the rental contract that takes customers to a how-to video library. A printed “Tool Tips” guide is also provided.
Looking ahead in 2021, English says the company’s rental division will continue on its mission of serving customers across a variety of retail formats.
“With unique capabilities that provide solutions and value to both DIYers and Pros, we blend physical and digital shopping experiences, as well as knowledgeable associates, to help doers get more done,” he says.
