Earlier this week, The Home Depot announced it has entered into an agreement for its specialty trade distribution subsidiary, SRS Distribution Inc. (SRS), to acquire GMS Inc. (GMS), a leading North American speciality building products distributor, for $5.5 billion.
The acquisition is another step in Home Depot’s focus on attracting contractors and pros, lining up with a trend of more consumers moving from DIY to do-it-for-me (DIFM). In 2024, the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) found that 44% of homeowners completed home improvement projects and 80% hired a professional for at least one of those home improvement projects.
“The combination of GMS and SRS will provide the residential and commercial Pro customer with more fulfillment and service options than ever before,” says Dan Tinker, CEO of SRS. “Together, we’ll create a network of more than 1,200 locations and a fleet of more than 8,000 trucks capable of making tens of thousands of job site deliveries per day.”
As independent retailers compete with big-box retailers like The Home Depot and work to gain market share in the pro and contractor market, see how these fellow retailers have established and maintained strong relationships in the pro market:
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