As the housing market continues to struggle, many homeowners are turning to renovations as a way to make their spaces work better for them.
Home Depot, the country’s largest home improvement retailer, has benefited from this demand. At the close of the second quarter of the 2026 fiscal year, it reported a $2.6 billion, or 5.7%, increase in net sales and a 1.7% increase in comparable sales.
But those numbers don’t necessarily mean Americans are suddenly opening their wallets for major renovations.
With the state of the economy, home improvement projects are no longer as simple for homeowners as deciding what they want to renovate. There’s also a question of whether they can justify the expense.
That caution appears to be reflected in the types of projects consumers are taking on. Home Depot CFO Richard McPhail attributed much of the retailer’s Q2 results to smaller, more budget-friendly projects.
“We saw broad-based demand across the business as customers continued to engage in smaller projects,” he told investors in a recent statement.
That trend is also apparent in the foot traffic. According to data from Placer.ai, visits to Home Depot remained relatively stable in the second quarter. This suggests that consumers haven’t abandoned home improvement — but aren’t exactly rushing to take on bigger projects.
Home Depot appears to be responding to that caution with its latest move.
Home Depot expands Express Delivery
In August, The Home Depot confirmed the nationwide expansion of Express Delivery. The move brings rapid order fulfillment to millions of Pro and DIY members for a small flat fee.
By using its 2,000+ U.S. stores as fulfillment hubs, Home Depot will now be able to deliver thousands of items in three hours or less, including materials and supplies for Pro construction projects.
“Customers expect products to be available when and where they need them, and Express Delivery helps us meet that expectation with a fast, reliable solution,” said Jordan Broggi, executive vice president of interconnected retail, in a statement.
“Whether you’re a DIYer who needs one more bag of fertilizer to finish the yard or a Pro running short on adhesives and caulk for a time-sensitive job, Express Delivery makes it easier than ever for our customers to get the supplies they need, right when they need them most,” he continued.
Express Delivery does not require a subscription or membership, and shoppers can view eligibility on individual product pages or at checkout.
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Home Depot is betting on convenience
For consumers increasingly taking on smaller renovation projects, as Home Depot has seen recently, the convenience of Express Delivery could be particularly valuable.
For example, a homeowner may be willing to spend $50 or $100 making a fix around the house, but less willing to make a separate trip to the store or wait several days for the supplies to arrive.
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When acquiring the necessary supplies and tools becomes too much of a hassle, some homeowners may simply put off those nonessential projects, losing Home Depot a sale in the process.
After all, following years of getting everything from groceries to household essentials delivered within hours from retailers like Amazon and Walmart, shoppers increasingly expect the same level of speed from retailers across categories.
The new Express Delivery option allows Home Depot to essentially make those purchases almost as convenient as ordering from a traditional e-commerce retailer, without asking customers to give up the benefits of its physical store network.
In other words, the move allows Home Depot to capture more spending without needing consumers to start investing heavily in renovations again, by making the smaller purchases they’re already willing to make as easy as possible.
With budget-conscious shoppers increasingly focused on smaller, more manageable projects, Home Depot is betting that faster delivery can turn a “maybe I’ll do it later” project into a purchase today.
Related: Home Depot rival hardware chain store closes over rent hike
