Home Depot

The U.S. Department of Justice said it reached a settlement with Home Depot over allegations it illegally fired Army National Guard soldier Brian Bailey. The Justice Department's complaint accused the retailer of willfully violating the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 when it terminated Bailey, an Iraq War veteran, in 2010 because he took too many absences to fulfill his service obligations. As part of the settlement, Home Depot will pay Bailey $45,000 in monetary relief and make changes to its military leaves of absence policy. Additionally, the company denied all allegations made in the complaint.

Home Depot faces $51,480 in fines after its store in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. was cited by federal regulators for “repeat and serious” workplace violations. OSHA’s inspection found the required working space around eight electrical equipment panels was used for storage, restricting employees’ access to circuit breakers. Because the company was cited by OSHA in 2010 and 2012 for similar hazards at New Hampshire and New Jersey stores, respectively, OSHA issued a citation with $44,000 in proposed fines for the repeat violation, as well as $7,480 in penalties for two other violations.

An organized retail theft ring that targeted 70 Home Depot stores in six states has been taken down by a multiagency task force after the arrest of three men in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Two other suspects are still being sought. According to New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa, the alleged shoplifters committed thefts at multiple stores per day, stealing hundreds of dollars in merchandise by “under-ringing” it through self-checkout areas. They allegedly engaged in over 500 illegal transactions resulting in estimated losses that exceeded $100,000. 

The Justice Department accused a Home Depot store in Arizona of illegally firing a National Guard soldier because he took too many absences to fulfill his service obligations. In a complaint filed with Arizona's U.S. District Court, the department said Home Depot violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act when it fired Iraq War veteran Brian Bailey in 2010. A Home Depot spokesman disputed the allegations, saying the store's management fired Bailey based on his performance on the job.

It may be March, but it's the holiday season for home improvement retailers. Unlike most retailers that bank on the winter holiday season for a large percentage of their annual sales, Santa comes in the springtime for retailers such as Home Depot and Lowe's. That's when homeowners finally begin those home improvement projects they've been putting off all winter.

There are significant advantages that small stand-alone stores have over big-box chains. A mom-and-pop retail business can service its customers on an individual basis and doesn't have to follow guidelines set by executives at some corporate office. In addition, stand-alone stores have the ability to form a unique relationship with their customers by learning their tastes, habits and treating them as if they were a friend.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and The Home Depot launched an online green home products database that features products geared toward green home building, including items that could earn USGBC LEED for Homes points.

The Home Depot and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia have extended their agreement to offer Martha Stewart Living-branded products at Home Depot stores through 2016. The Home Depot offers a wide variety of paint, outdoor furniture, kitchen and bath cabinetry, and carpeting under the Martha Stewart brand currently.

Helped by Mother Nature, Home Depot easily beat estimates with a 32 percent leap in fourth quarter profits amid healthy sales of $16 billion. Inspired by the encouraging results, shares of the world's largest home improvement retailer jumped more than 3 percent in premarket action.

When a big-box store such as Home Depot, Lowe's, Costco or Sam's Club comes to town, local businesses get nervous. How can they compete with the "everyday low prices"? How will they keep their customers? How will they attract new ones? After all, they don't have the advertising budget, inventory or buying power that big-box retailers do. While there's some reality to all of the concerns that a local or small business might have, they're really just excuses. Plenty of local and small businesses flourish long after these larger stores move into their territory.