When The Home Depot was founded in 1978, Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank had no idea how revolutionary this new “hardware store” would be for home improvement and the retail industry. Today, we’re proud to be the world’s largest home improvement retailer. In more than 2,200 stores across North America, we aspire to excel in service – to our customers, associates, communities, and shareholders. That’s what leadership means to us. That’s The Home Depot difference.