Since women make 85 percent of remodeling and home-improvement decisions and represent 44 percent of do-it-yourselfers nationwide, it’s no wonder the battle is being waged for top home improvement retailer for women. According to consumeraffairs.com, Lowe’s has been the preferred big box for women making home improvement decisions, but Home Depot aims to change all that. The Home Depot Design Center in Charlotte, NC., offers women-friendly options for shopping and buying, including products displayed in settings that are complete with doors, windows, fixtures, fabrics and furnishings.
The goal of the Design Center is to showcase products in a way that speaks more to how women shop. For instance, appliances are available to try, and demonstrations are held regularly. Home Depot has learned that women prefer to see products in action and see how they work. The cooking demonstrations will give shoppers the chance to test out ovens, ranges, warmers and refrigerators. Products range in price from the very affordable to the high-end in an attempt to appeal to all budgets.
The new Design Center is the first of its kind but is based on smaller versions that opened in California last spring. It’s the same size as a regular orange Home Depot, but the shelves are human-scale and there are no forklifts moving through the aisles. Home Depot insists that it is not an attempt to start a new chain of stores, but with women’s buying and decision making power, it wouldn’t be a terrible idea. I have to know one thing, though: Are they wearing the signature orange aprons?
Credit: HD Design Center Careers