Home Depot bolsters online business with new direct fulfillment center

The Home Depot has opened a new direct fulfillment center (DFC) in the Locust Grove suburb of Atlanta.



It is the first of three new DFCs the company will open across the U.S. in the next two years, adding more than 3 million sq. ft. and approximately 1,000 jobs to its supply chain. The new distribution centers will increase the number of orders the company can ship the day they are received, increasing the speed of delivery for HomeDepot.com orders.



The company is also enabling faster order picking and shipping through new warehouse management and material handling systems.



"This is a significant investment in our ability to say yes to customers with confidence," said Mark Holifield, SVP, supply chain. "Yes, you have access to our entire inventory to fulfill your order. Yes, you can expect a speedy delivery. And yes, you can rely on information updates about your delivery."



The DFCs will stock approximately 100,000 products, extending The Home Depot aisle beyond the 35,000 products typically available at the average physical store.



The Locust Grove DFC will initially employ approximately 125 people, and will eventually employ approximately 300. Future DFCs are scheduled to open in Perris, Calif., and Troy, Ohio.



The Home Depot has 2,263 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. In fiscal 2012, The Home Depot had sales of $74.8 billion and earnings of $4.5 billion. The company employs more than 300,000 people.