When a retailer is struggling, it has several choices to address the situation: continue its current strategies and hope the business climate changes, pivot from its original track to answer evolving demands and hopefully pull through, or give up and shut its doors for good.
That’s why we see so many businesses completely changing over decades of operation, always trying to adapt to market trends and economic conditions. Some have mastered the art of transformation, while others have failed.
Home Depot has faced its fair share of challenges over the years. In 2025, the home-improvement king struggled with several consumer boycotts over its decision to cut its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and its alleged cooperation with ICE’s immigration crackdown. It also recently hiked prices to address tariff pressures, reported TheStreet’s Patricia Battle.
Additionally, Home Depot is dealing with a “housing market that remains functionally ‘frozen’ for the average consumer,” longtime Wall Street analyst and TheStreet Co-Editor-in-Chief Todd Campbellexplained.
Despite mortgage rates stabilizing near 6.01% in February 2026 (the lowest level in over three years), existing home sales plunged 8.4% in January, according to the National Association of Realtors.
To address all these challenges, Home Depot frequently makes new moves, and its latest changes indicate the retailer’s shift to serving professional builders.
Home Depot launches industry’s first real-time delivery tracker for big orders
Home Depot shared on March 5 that it will launch a real-time delivery tracker for big and bulky orders such as 80-pound bags of concrete, lumber, and drywall. While this technology already existed for home appliances, it is now being expanded to the heavy materials Pro customers use every day.
The home-improvement giant says it is “the first major retailer to offer this level of tracking precision for the delivery of building materials,” according to its press release.
The new feature aims to help Pro customers better plan complex projects by providing minute-by-minute updates. The tracker is expected to launch by the end of the first quarter.
How Home Depot’s new real-time tracking works
The new live tracking for bulky orders is powered by The Home Depot driver Handheld application that delivers real-time GPS data directly from the delivery truck to pinpoint the truck’s location and progress on a live map.
Customers get an SMS notification that their order is on the way.
The new feature provides:
- Minute-by-minute updates: Pros can see the truck’s exact GPS location on a live map via the Home Depot app or website.
- Stop-by-stop visibility: The tool shows how many deliveries are scheduled before the truck reaches the specific job site.
- Turn-by-turn arrival: Real-time data allow contractors to know exactly when to have their crew or subcontractors ready to unload, preventing “dead time” on the clock.
Additionally, further updates will enable live tracking on iPhone and Android lock screens, allowing customers to stay informed without needing to unlock their phones.
“Last-mile logistics for large, flatbed deliveries have been a persistent blind spot for retailers delivering building materials to Pros. The Home Depot is focused on removing friction at every step… we know that every minute counts on a busy job site,” said Senior Vice President of Enterprise Delivery Experience Dee Walk.
Why the new Home Depot delivery tracker is a game-changer
For DIYers shopping at Home Depot, the new deivery tracker might seem like a simple “nice-to-have” app update. For professional builders, however, it’s much more, preventing a huge threat to productivity.
Industry data reveal that construction pros spend roughly 14 hours a week (or about 25% of their time) on non-productive activities, according to the Autodesk/FMI’s 2018 Construction Disconnected report.
Among these activities, waiting for materials is the second most common, right after “poor communication among project stakeholders.”
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The report uses the umbrella term “non-optimal activities” and suggests that resolving these issues could save thousands of dollars in labor costs per month.
This sentiment is seen across other industry reports.
“Without the necessary materials, contractors incur labor costs while workers wait, leading to inefficiencies and potential budget overruns. The average tradesperson can lose about 8-9% of their working day waiting for materials, tools, and equipment to arrive or be collected from the site, according to Glenn Hawkins of BSRIA’s Process and Productivity Department, as reported by Descartes.
In short, real-time material delivery tracking enables more efficient labor use, reducing costs.
“A contractor’s ability to make a steady profit depends not just on the ability to complete projects, but on the ability to complete them within a reasonable and predictable timeframe… a single project gone awry from a time standpoint can be devastating to a contractor’s profitability… In short, time is money for a contractor,” points out Robert Kaler, construction law expert at Holland & Knight.
Home Depot’s pivot to Pro customers and other recent moves
Home Depot CEO Ted Decker recently pointed out that while customers are still buying small items, they are delaying large projects and major home improvements.
“Our fourth quarter results were largely in-line with our expectations, reflecting the lack of storm activity in the third quarter, and ongoing consumer uncertainty and pressure in housing,” Decker said during the most recent fourth-quarter earnings call.
Instead of waiting for regular shoppers to come back, Home Depot is pivoting by betting on professional customers with recent moves.
In 2024, Home Depot bought a company called SRS Distribution, “pivoting sales toward the arguably more stable ‘Pro’ contractor market, helping reduce its reliance solely on DIY shoppers,” pointed out Campbell.
“We are encouraged by the momentum in our Pro ecosystem and the integration of SRS, which we believe positions us to take share in a recovering market,” Decker said during the Q4 earnings call.
Additionally, I recently reported about Home Depot’s launch of a Material List Builder AI that allows professional contractors to create complete material lists in minutes using voice commands, text, or uploaded documents.
Earlier this year, the retailer also replaced traditional local hot dog stands with high-end Wahlburgers food trailers at select locations to increase on-site convenience and drive foot traffic.
Related: Target is making 4 big changes to win back customers
