Home Depot Case Analysis"The Home Depot NYSE:HD, headquartered in Vinings, Georgia, is a home improvement retailer that targets both the do-it-yourself and professional consumers in construction and home improvement. It is the second largest retailer in the United States, behind Wal-Mart; and the third largest retailer in the world, behind Wal-Mart and the French company Carrefour, operating approximately 1,900 stores throughout North America The company operates stores in the United States (including the 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands), Canada and Mexico. The Home Depot also operates EXPO Design Center stores in select U.S. markets, providing high-end home design products and services. Its sales in 2004 were $73.1 billion. It ranked 13th on FORTUNE magazine's FORTUNE 500. The Home Depot also owns a chain of high-end furniture and appliance stores. The Home Depot employs more than 325,000 people. /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Depot#The_Home_Depot_todayThe company was founded in 1978 in Atlanta, Georgia, by Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, and has grown rapidly, with sales topping $1 billion annually in 1986. Since its founding, HD has continued to grow steadily by targeting strong markets with many new homeowners and young people such as New Orleans. Home Depot has been able to grow rapidly by quickly adapting to change and has continued to be successful while maintaining the organization's culture and values. Constant renovation and working to sustain a culture that produces good products, employees and customers have helped Home Depot maintain its competitive edge and lead the commercial construction industry. The company's management has placed a great deal of emphasis on caring for its employees, encouraging an entrepreneurial spirit, treating each other with respect and committing to the highest standards. The stores and their merchandise were set up so that all the stores were very similar. Operational efficiency has been a crucial part of achieving low prices while offering a high level of customer service. The company was evaluating and updating its information to support growth, control costs and enable better decision making. The company continued to see increased efficiency through its electronic data interchange program.