Home Depot Has Long Dominated America’s Newest Pastime: Home Improvement Projects

The Atlanta-born giant changed how people spruce up their abodes

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It all started with a firing—a very foolish one.

In 1978, Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank were executives at Handy Dan, a home improvement chain based in Southern California. Despite the business being very profitable, the pair had begun to tinker with a new idea. By lowering prices, they found, the stores’ volume shot up, making Handy Dan even more money. The executives had planned to implement that strategy systemwide, but they never got the chance.

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This story first appeared in the Sept. 28, 2020, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.