The Home Depot is stepping up its digital strategy for professional contractors with the launch of a new project planning tool it designed to streamline how jobs are managed from start to finish.
The system consolidates material lists, order tracking, delivery logistics, trade credit, and team collaboration into a single digital platform. In doing so, it brings the retailer closer to its goal of embedding itself in contractors’ daily workflows.
“Our project planning tool makes it easier than ever for our Pro customers to plan, purchase and monitor the status of their complex projects and all backed by The Home Depot’s product assortment and expertise,” said Mike Rowe, executive vice president of Pro at The Home Depot. “The average Pro works with 10 or more suppliers on a single job. We’re in a unique position to simplify this process and will continue to expand our digital tools to meet the evolving needs of Pros.”
The Home Depot Inc. ranks No. 4 in the Top 2000 Database. The Digital Commerce 360 database ranks North America’s largest online retailers by their annual ecommerce sales. Home Depot is also the top-ranked retailer in the Top 2000’s Hardware & Home Improvement category.
Home Depot’s digital project planning tool
The platform allows contractors to:
- Build and reuse material lists by project phase, room, or category.
- Set delivery preferences down to jobsite details.
- Track orders in real time.
Multi-user access enables subcontractors and crews to stay aligned, while Home Depot associates can provide support directly within the tool. In practice, it functions less like an online store and more like a procurement and workflow hub.
The launch builds on initiatives Home Depot highlighted in its second-quarter earnings call. Executives emphasized the importance of digital investments in its professional business. Ann-Marie Campbell, senior executive vice president, pointed to trade credit and order management upgrades as central to that strategy.
“Today we have several thousand Pros with a trade credit account, and we’ve seen a double-digit lift in their spend across channels once these Pros started using trade credit,” Campbell said. “Later this year, we anticipate that all trade credit customers will be able to seamlessly use trade credit for in-store purchases.”
She also underscored how the company’s upgraded order management system is creating new flexibility for professional buyers.
“For example, today we can quickly and easily change an order from in a store to delivery to the jobsite,” Campbell said.
How Home Depot is leaning further into B2B ecommerce
In some markets, Pros can reserve inventory, modify orders before fulfillment, and invoice upon delivery — capabilities more common in sophisticated distributor platforms than in traditional retail.
Together, the rollout of the project planning tool, expanded trade credit, and enhanced order management show how Home Depot is evolving beyond a supplier into a B2B ecommerce partner. By reducing the complexity of juggling multiple suppliers, the company is positioning itself to capture a larger share of professional spending in categories where distributors have historically dominated.
For wholesale distributors, the competitive implications are clear. Many continue to lean on branch relationships, localized inventory, and long-standing customer ties as their edge. But as Pros grow accustomed to seamless ecommerce, integrated credit, and flexible logistics from a player like Home Depot, they are increasingly likely to expect the same from other suppliers. Those without comparable capabilities could face pressure as contractors consolidate business with those who make procurement easier.
Home Depot’s strategy illustrates a broader shift in B2B commerce: it’s no longer enough to offer an online catalog. Success increasingly depends on building platforms that integrate procurement, financing, logistics, and collaboration — turning digital tools into the center of professional workflows.
Sign up
Sign up for a complimentary subscription to Digital Commerce 360 B2B News. It covers technology and business trends in the growing B2B ecommerce industry. Contact Mark Brohan, senior vice president of B2B and Market Research, at mark@digitalcommerce360.com. Follow him on Twitter @markbrohan. Follow us on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and YouTube.
Favorite