Home Depot Builds Pro Loyalty With New AI & Project Management Tools

The Home Depot Inc. HD is taking a significant step toward deepening engagement with professional (Pro) customers by enhancing its Pro digital ecosystem with new AI-powered and project management tools. The initiative is aimed at addressing a key pain point for contractors and builders, managing fragmented workflows across multiple platforms.At the core of this upgrade is a unified digital workspace designed for members of the Pro Xtra loyalty program. By consolidating project planning, purchasing and team collaboration into a single interface, Home Depot is positioning itself as more than just a supplier; it is becoming an operational partner for Pros. The platform enables users to organize complex jobs with features like personalized pricing, inventory visibility and streamlined delivery preferences.A standout addition is the AI-driven Material List Builder, which interprets project requirements and generates detailed material lists within seconds. This not only saves time but also allows professionals to prepare bids more efficiently. Complementing this are real-time delivery tracking and advanced order scheduling capabilities, ensuring materials arrive at job sites precisely when needed, even when sourced from multiple locations.The platform also enhances back-end efficiency with improved purchase history tracking, simplifying reconciliation and record-keeping. Meanwhile, shared access features empower teams with customizable permissions, enabling seamless collaboration while maintaining oversight.By integrating these capabilities, Home Depot is reducing operational friction and helping Pros focus on scaling their businesses. This digital push underscores the company’s broader strategy to build long-term loyalty by embedding itself deeper into the daily workflows of its Pro customers, ultimately strengthening its competitive edge in the professional segment.Home Depot’s shares have declined 4.5% in the past three months compared with the industry’s 3.3% dip. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research More on HD’s Pro StrategyThe Pro customer remains central to Home Depot’s growth strategy. The company continues to see strong momentum in its Pro customer segment, underscoring the success of its targeted investments and ecosystem approach. It highlighted that Pro customers delivered comparable sales growth and outperformed DIY customers in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, signaling resilience amid a challenging housing backdrop. Notably, Pros engaged deeply across core construction categories such as concrete, plumbing and electrical, reflecting steady demand for essential, ongoing projects.Home Depot is seeing higher engagement from Pros as they leverage its expanding suite of capabilities. Management emphasized that Pros, by leveraging its integrated ecosystem spanning sales support, delivery and project management tools, are spending more and driving stronger loyalty. Digital adoption is accelerating, with B2B online sales outpacing overall online growth, supported by tools, such as project-planning features that generate tens of thousands of projects weekly.Additionally, enhanced delivery reliability, improved communication and expanded trade credit offerings are strengthening relationships with Pro customers. These efforts are translating into higher sales, increased Pro Xtra membership engagement and deeper wallet share. Overall, the Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company’s continued focus on Pro-centric capabilities positions it well to capture long-term growth and market share in this high-value segment.Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks are Tapestry Inc. TPR, Deckers Outdoor Corporation DECK and Williams-Sonoma Inc. WSM.Tapestry is the designer and marketer of fine accessories and gifts for women and men in the United States and internationally. It currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Tapestry’s fiscal 2026 sales and earnings indicates growth of 11.2% and 26.5%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers. TPR has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 12.8%, on average.Deckers Outdoor is a leading designer, producer and brand manager of innovative, niche footwear and accessories developed for outdoor sports and other lifestyle-related activities. It currently carries a Zacks Rank of 1.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Deckers Outdoor’s fiscal 2026 sales and earnings indicates growth of 8.9% and 8.5%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers. DECK has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 36.9%, on average.Williams-Sonoma is a multi-channel specialty retailer of premium quality home products. It carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Williams-Sonoma’s fiscal 2026 sales and earnings indicates growth of 3.2% and 4.6%, respectively, from the previous year’s reported figures. WSM has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 8.6%.Quantum Computing Stocks Set To SoarArtificial intelligence has already reshaped the investment landscape, and its convergence with quantum computing could lead to the most significant wealth-building opportunities of our time.Today, you have a chance to position your portfolio at the forefront of this technological revolution. In our urgent special report, Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power, you'll discover the little-known stocks we believe will win the quantum computing race and deliver massive gains to early investors.Access the Report Free Now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report The Home Depot, Inc. (HD): Free Stock Analysis Report Deckers Outdoor Corporation (DECK): Free Stock Analysis Report Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSM): Free Stock Analysis Report Tapestry, Inc. (TPR): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks