Home Depot takes Manhattan

By Andrea Lillo -- Home Textiles Today, 9/15/2003 12:00:00 AM

ATLANTA —

The Home Depot has announced the opening of its first Manhattan store next summer, which will give it a presence in every borough of New York.

Currently with 75 stores in the greater New York market, The Home Depot said the new store, to be located in the Flatiron district on the south side of 23rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, will be the latest iteration of the company's urban neighborhood format.

"New York is a retailer's ideal market," said Bob Nardelli, chairman, president and ceo. "The population density, scale of demand, sophistication of tastes and the strength of the economy are only a few of the ingredients that make Manhattan an extremely attractive market for The Home Depot. By continuing to expand our presence in urban markets such as New York and Chicago, we are providing more convenience for our professional and do-it-yourself customers."

At 108,000 square feet, the store will have a street-level showroom and a lower-level retail floor, as well as a mezzanine.

The first New York store opened in Mill Basin, Brooklyn, in April 2002, and subsequent designs in Staten Island and in Chicago's Lincoln Park helped the company learn how to tailor the format for the neighborhood. The new store will focus its products and services to the residential and professional customers in the area, as well as customers who commute and may want to use its special delivery services, according to the store.