Home Depot's Orange Came From Circus Tents and Its Name From an Investor's Wife
The founders rejected Bad Bernie's Build All, then picked a name from an investor's family and a color they could afford.
Acquired · The Home DepotHome Depot picked orange to get noticed, and canvas made for orange circus tents offered a cheap way to make signs. Its name came from the wife of one of its early investors.
The founders had hired a marketing consultant who proposed Bad Bernie's Build All, with ads showing co-founder Bernie Marcus behind bars because his prices were so low they must be criminal.
They rejected that idea. Investor Ken Langone asked his investor group for alternatives, and one investor's wife suggested The Home Depot, and it stuck.
The same consultant suggested orange because it would stand out. The cash-strapped company could also save money by using canvas made for orange circus tents as store signage.
The first two stores opened in Atlanta on June 22, 1979. The color stayed, on signage and the store aprons that are now hard to miss.
Questions people ask
Why does orange work so well for a store?
Orange is highly visible and contrasts with most storefronts and streets, so signs catch the eye from a distance. The consultant recommended orange so the new stores would stand out.
What does depot mean in Home Depot?
A depot is a large storage place, often for trains, buses, or supplies. For a warehouse-sized hardware store that piled goods high and sold in bulk, the word told shoppers they would find a huge stock under one roof.