Home Depot to cut 1,000 jobs, shut three stores

[marmar]

Home Depot to cut 1,000 jobs, shut three stores
By Andria Cheng, MarketWatch


NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- No. 1 home-improvement retailer Home Depot Inc. said Tuesday that it's cutting 1,000 jobs as it plans to shut three underperforming pilot stores and consolidate various back-end functions.

The stores, affecting about 100 jobs, are a small-format store in Wilson, N.C.; a temporary hurricane-recovery outlet in Waveland, Miss.; and a clearance outlet in Austell, Ga. The company said it has no plans to close its orange big-box stores.

Approximately 900 other jobs being cut relate to the company consolidating its human-resources, finance, real-estate and construction functions, including centralizing its HR structure mostly back to its Atlanta headquarters instead of having a field-team structure by districts, company spokesman Ron Defeo said. Finance will now have a pool support structure instead of dedicated support teams previously.

Since it has slowed its store openings, Home Depot no longer needs as big of a staff for real estate and construction, the company said. As part of the restructuring, Home Depot said it will add 200 jobs in Atlanta.

"This is not a case of the company cutting expenses in reaction to broader economic pressures or our business performance," Chief Executive Frank Blake wrote in a memo to employees, adding the cuts don't affect Home Depot's customer-facing positions. "Rather, we are making prudent structural changes where it makes business sense to consolidate some functions." ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/home-depot-to-cut-1000-jobs-shut-three-stores-2010-01-26-15500

[brewens]

1. That outfit is nothing like it's founder intended it to be now.

My girlfriends son in law is a department manager. Actually has three departments. He has no building or home improvement expertise and temporary help constantly being replaced. His is a strictly sales and marketing background but he's learning fast.
The idea they would have an expert in every isle is long gone. When the one in my town opened up I told two of my buddies, a carpenter and a painter, that they should check it out. Both of them are getting older and like a lot of guys in their trades, never built up any retirement and have no benefits when they're on a job. It sounded like a good idea at the time. Take a pay cut but have an indoor job with benefits and a shot at some kind of retirement.
I know a lot of guys in the various trades around here and Home Depot never got a single one to go to work there. If they did, they didn't stay. You go in there and the employees run the other way when they see you look at them like you might need help.

[LeftyMom]

2. Their catch phrase here is "I'm new and this isn't my department"

It's a running joke anymore.

[cabluedem]

18. They wont hire older workers with experience. Too expensive. nt

[SoCalDem]

3. only three stores?

We have about 5 of them within 15 miles of each other... and all are almost empty whenever I have been to them in the past year or so..

I made the mistake of letting a clerk at Lowes know that we were remodeling our kitchen, and the guy whipped out a business card so fast, his hand was a blur... and he reminded me three times to be sure and ask for him when we were ready..

poor guy..my husband's company MAKES cabinets & I was shopping Lowes to see their mock-up kitchens & look at colors..

I'll be able to get better cabinets for about 1/3 the price and will have them 18' deep instead of 14.. & they'll be being made for the boss's wife, so I know the guys will do a great job for us :)

[TexasObserver]

4. Recommend

[thunder rising]

5. Home Depot ... the KMart of hardware stores. "Our stuff is cheap for a reason."

[Brickbat]

6. How many of the layoffs are those returning soldiers they took such great pride in hiring?

Just curious.

[safeinOhio]

7. They are building a huge and I do mean huge

warehouse down the street form me. Have to be hiring some fork lift operators and stock pickers. The retail store in town closed a year ago.

[cabluedem]

17. Lots of companies are using long term temp workers..low pay and no benefits. nt

[emilyg]

8. Damn - more no customer service.

[Sebastian Doyle]

9. Haven't set foot in a Home Depot since 2003

Shortly after Chimpy invaded Iraq, the local store put up signs all over saying "We support the troops AND the pResident".

I figured if they wanted to support that piece of shit, they could do so without my help. Haven't been back since. The Lowes is just as close, and the local hardware store is even closer, so why bother funding a right wing shithole anyway?

[cabluedem]

16. Amen to that. nt

[KharmaTrain]

10. Another "Booosh Pioneer" Benefitting From Raygunomics

When I found out they were big rushpublican contributors, I sold my stock in the company and stopped shopping there. I prefer to go to the small Ace Hardware...they'll match or beat any price I find at Lowes or Home Despot and they have people who know what the hell I'm looking for.

Another victim of the housing boom/bust...they located in areas with lots of construction and their fates have tanked with the housing market. I've never been a fan of the big boxes...takes forever to find what you're looking for and the "kids" who are most of the employees look more lost there than I am. Even if it means spending a couple extra bucks, I'll take the small and locally owned stores any day...and know my business is appreciated.

Sorry for those who lost their jobs...but screw those rushpublican trickle down bastards. But we know the top brass will still get their bonuses.

[amborin]

11. remember how Nardelli ran it into the ground, and left with huge $$$$$$ sev. package? n/t

[guruoo]

12. On March 17, 2009, Nardelli said that Chrysler Financial would require a second round of loans.

On March 17, 2009, Nardelli said that Chrysler Financial would require a second round of loans.<10>
On April 21, 2009, it was revealed that a $750 million loan from the government was turned down, on
the grounds that it would have required that executive compensation be capped.<11> On April 30, 2009,
Chrysler filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and it was announced that Nardelli's replacement
(Sergio Marchionne <12>) would likely face a pay cap.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Nardelli

[amborin]

13. interesting! so it was maybe mostly Nardelli who kissed Bush's &%%; what a

sociopath; he puts his obscene $$$$$ over Chrysler workers' jobs

[LatteLibertine]

14. Sad thing is

often folks are laid off while higher ups are getting 15% pay increases. Sometimes the lay off are to feed said increases.

[Romulox]

15. Everybody *claims* to be a capitalist, until capitalism works as intended. nt