Expect more Martha at Home Depot

ATLANTA --Home Depot will make a bigger push for the female shopper this spring, largely through the introduction of coordinating Martha Stewart merchandise, company merchant Gordon Erickson told the New York Times in a Jan. 28 interview.

Erickson, the SVP merchandising and decor, acknowledged that Home Depot is sometimes perceived as “male-oriented,” even though 50% of its customers are women. The Atlanta retailer wants to persuade its female shoppers to take on more home improvement projects with a design theme. And that’s where Martha Stewart comes in.

“We’re basically taking categories and merchandise that are underperforming and working with Martha and her design team to add Martha products, replacing things that aren’t working,” Erickson told the Times.

Home Depot already carries a Martha Stewart line of patio furniture, cabinets, draperies, carpets and paint; this spring, her brand will extend into lighting, vanity tables and bathroom decor.

The Martha Stewart merchandise is designed to coordinate across the different categories, thereby increasing a woman’s spend on a particular project or a trip to the store, according to Erickson.

“We want the whole basket -- we want the complete project,” he said.