The Home Depot has launched real-time delivery tracking for large and bulky items across all categories, extending visibility features long available for smaller parcels to products such as appliances and lumber.
The rollout was enabled by new handheld devices now used by Home Depot drivers, which track order progress and help crews stay aligned with customer requirements, executives said on a recent earnings call.
The live tracking feature provides customers with more precise delivery timing and status updates.
Executive Vice President of Merchandising Billy Bastek said the enhancement improves reliability and communication, adding that reducing friction in the delivery experience drives higher customer engagement and incremental sales.
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Jordan Broggi, executive vice president of customer experience and president of online, described the expansion of tracking to oversized goods as a significant improvement, noting that customers have grown accustomed to real-time updates for smaller orders.
Improved visibility could sharpen Home Depot’s competitive position in the big and bulky segment, where delivery coordination is more complex.
Consumer expectations are also rising: a 2022 survey from delivery software provider DispatchTrack found that 41% of shoppers want precise, real-time tracking for large-item orders, while half want at least general visibility into shipment status.
The initiative is part of a broader, multiyear supply chain overhaul. Over the past eight years, Home Depot has added nearly 200 facilities to support faster fulfillment and expanded its use of a “ship from best location” algorithm to determine optimal routing and delivery methods, executives said previously.
The tracking expansion underscores the retailer’s continued investment in supply chain infrastructure as it works to speed delivery times and increase the assortment of products eligible for fast shipping.
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