What a Woman Wants

(February 2011) posted on Mon Feb 28, 2011

Home Depot thinks it’s figured that out. Again.

Big news! Home Depot finally got the memo. Last month, it announced that it had the key to its success going forward: It was going to take aim at the female shopper of the species.

“This year,” The New York Times reported, “Home Depot is recognizing that while women may be half of its customers, it has not catered to them in ways that translate into a larger market share.

“ . . . And that means sprucing up departments to get female customers excited about window treatments or new colors for makeovers of existing spaces.”

“For years, we’ve always had a bad — I don’t want to say a bad reputation, it’s more that people look at our business and think it is male-oriented, dominated,” Home Depot’s Gordon Erickson, senior vp, merchandising and décor, told The Times. “Fifty percent of our customers are female. We need to offer her products that she wants.”

Good for you, Home Depot, acknowledging that women do the shopping. Now go over there and stand in that line, yes that one over there, with Sears, Best Buy, Lowe’s, RadioShack, Kroger, Kmart, Target, Walmart, Walgreens, Publix, Macy’s, McDonald’s, Staples, Meijer, 7-Eleven, Toys-R-Us, Whole Foods, Starbucks, Apple, Dillard’s, Office Depot, J.C. Penney, Dick’s, Foot Locker, Sony, Sports Authority and Borders, all of whom have had that same epiphany at least once in the last 17 years.

In the 1990s, Sears discovered it had a softer side. That worked for a while.

What, then, is Home Depot doing differently to court this elusive female shopper? It’s tying itself to Martha Stewart. Martha-designed paint colors, curtains, rugs, lamps, mirrors and other home furnishing accessories.

It always sounds so simple when a retailer is outlining its new, why-have-we-never-thought-of-this-before, strategy. Women with children push strollers, so widen the aisles. Women with jobs are time-pressed, so lower the shelves. Women like softer colors. Women like indirect lighting. Women like clear signage.

Do they? Only women require clear signage? And all women like softer colors and warmer environments? Yes, that’s why you’ll hardly ever find a woman shopping at Costco.

I wouldn’t want to dissuade Home Depot. Honestly, I think they’re onto something. It just makes me think that if you’re going to be really serious about attracting that woman shopper, you’d better really dig deep, beyond the softer lighting thing. Do your research and analysis. Really commit.

Just tying yourself to Martha Stewart is no shortcut to retail success. Is it, Kmart?

By the way, The Times points out that “this is not the first time that Home Depot has tried to figure out what women want. . . . In the early 1990s, it opened Expo Design Centers, showrooms with fresh flowers and other feminine touches. It closed those centers in 2009.”

Really? The flowers didn’t work? Go figure!

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Jack.wang says: Share Home Depot situation in China and Bust Buy after Home Depot bought one local brand in north of China, so they move their headquarter from Shanghai to Beijing, then last year they have to close all ...

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Share Home Depot situation in China and Bust Buy

after Home Depot bought one local brand in north of China, so they move their headquarter from Shanghai to Beijing, then last year they have to close all Beijing stores, then they relocate the office again to Tianjing, because Tianjing still have few stores. by the way their road in China is not so health.

Best Buy is also quite challenge, they close 9 stores in China (most in east of China), the design team transform to their francise brand Five Star (one traditional market brand), but i think the pity will continue happen.

posted on: Thu, 03/03/2011 - 2:16am

GraftonGroup says: Goodness, are they really that stupid? “ . . . And that means sprucing up departments to get female customers excited about window treatments or new colors for makeovers of existing spaces.” I most ...

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Goodness, are they really that stupid?

“ . . . And that means sprucing up departments to get female customers excited about window treatments or new colors for makeovers of existing spaces.”

I most certainly do not shop Home Depot just for window treatments or paint. I buy lumber, screws and nails. I purchase items to take home and create with. I need to hang pictures, build shelves, replace some moulding, and build a ramp for my aging dog.

Don't send me to home fashions. I've got other stores that specialize in that. Stick to what your Core Customer purchases, Home Depot, and realize that women are in that core as well.

Julie

posted on: Sun, 03/13/2011 - 11:25am

egypt says: هل تبحثين علي اجمل موقع العاب اذا يمكنك دخول اجمل موقع العاب والعاب بنات فى مصر كلها موقع العاب العاب و موقع ...

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هل تبحثين علي اجمل موقع العاب اذا يمكنك دخول اجمل موقع العاب والعاب بنات فى مصر كلها موقع العاب العاب و موقع العاب بنات العاب بنات مصر احلي موقع العاب والعاب طبخ والعاب تلبيس والعاب جديده كل يوم ايضا يمكنك معرفة اجمل المعلومات الطبية فى احدث موقع طبي موقع طبيب طبيب معلومات طبية كل يوم
اما ان كنتي اجتماعيه وتريد مناقشة الجميع فى مناقشات وحوارات , وصور وافلام واغاني ونقاش جاد يمكنك دخول افضل منتدي مصري منتديات بنات مصر , منتدي نسائى مصري متجدد المعلومات يوميا
ولو بتحبي العاب التلبيس والملابس وازياء وحاجات حلوة ادخلي احسن موقع العاب تلبيس العاب تلبيس جديده كل يوم للبنات والشباب يا حلوين , وكمان فى الموقع احلي العاب سيارات العاب سيارات والعاب سباق سيارات جديده كل يوم مسلية وممتعه لشباب وبنات مصر
وللعلم عندنا فى موقعنا شات و دردشة واجمل شات شات اكيد اجمل شات و دردشة مصرية دردشة مصرية احلي شات يضم جميع ابناء الوطن العربي من كل مكان في شات ودردشة بنات مصر المميز
وفى موقع العاب طبخ بنات مصر العاب طبخ احلي العاب طبخ جديده كل يوم مسلية وممتعه , وكمان العاب دراجات واحلي العاب العاب دراجات العاب دراجات نارية العاب دراجات نارية العاب دراجات نارية جديده العاب سباق دراجات نارية , لمشاهدة افضل افلام مصرية وعربية يمكنكم مشاهدة افلام