This is what a Super Home Depot looks like on the outside. It’s the Vauxhall, NJ location, not too far from NYC (right off I-78). According to a few sources online, this is Home Depot’s largest location in the country.
I didn’t really notice much about the outside.
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But on the inside, things are far different compared to any other Home Depot I’ve ever been to.
To start, there’s a Dunkin Donuts right inside. It looked to be a fully equipped DD too, except everything is to-go.
The power tool section was amazingly well organized, not to mention huge. Even the hand tool section was nicely spread out.
This is the cordless tool section.
Corded tools were within another nearby aisle, neatly organized by type. Here are all the 1/4 sheet and finish sanders they had in stock.
This is the ball bearing tool storage aisle, with demo units all positioned in a way where you can walk back and forth to compare features.
There were sections I’d never seen at other Home Depots before, such as this office supply area, where they had a lot of Rite in the Rain products.
There were also expanded selections in some of the other departments. For instance, the Super Home Depot had display areas of fancy outlets and designer switches that I’d never seen elsewhere.
There were enclosed design studios and plenty of showroom space. I hadn’t taken any photos of the showroom spaces since there were so many people walking through and looking things over.
The downside: by the time I was done with my initial walk-through of the Super Home Depot, I felt like I had spent the afternoon at Ikea. The store was really that huge, with so much more to see than I had anticipated.
While a bit of a drive from NYC, it was a worthy visit. This was the most fun I’ve ever had at a Home Depot.
If only every HD was like this! According to Wikipedia, this Home Depot Super Store has more than double the average square footage for regular Home Depot stores, with a total of 225,000 square feet.
No wonder I was so exhausted!
I’ll take more pictures next time!
Tim says
I want to go.
I wonder if the female will think this is an acceptable daycation idea?
Probably not.
Stuart says
Well, the showroom displays were really, really nice.
Tim says
She’d spend more time in tools.
She’s a bit of a toolnut herself.
RX9 says
You’ll never know if you don’t ask. I take my wife to the Depot/Lowe’s all the time. We work on woodcrafting projects, and it’s a fun way to spend our time together.
RKA says
It looks like it could be. But it might cost you dearly. This looks like a good place to plant a seed that eventually costs you 4-5 figures!
Tim says
We don’t have 4-5 figures.
We have 2 figures. Problem solved.
Kyle R says
It’s so interesting to me how Depot sells both DeWalt and Milwaukee but Lowe’s soldiers on with only DeWalt. I would think they’d have figured something out with Milwaukee by now.
mattd says
hd also has makita, so they sell the main three different popular pro tool brands all side by side. the milwaukee primarily being at HD might be due to their contracts with tti for ryobi and ridgid tools.
Travis says
Lowe’s and DeWalt have a sole contract. From what I have gathered, DeWalt pays Home Depot to sell their tools there so they can directly compete with Milwaukee.
DeWalt gave Home Depot the rights to sell FlexVolt for 6 months before Lowe’s gets to sell it in exchange for FlexVolt getting a front and center endcap to compete with Milwaukee.
OhioHead says
Lowe’s has Porter Cable, Hitachi & Bosch…nice counterbalance to the TTI juggernaught @ HD! Now if Metabo starts be sold @ Lowe’s…………
Scott K says
I wish HD had a better Bosch selection. They have some corded tools but no cordless…
OhioHead says
I am not in the “trades,” has Bosch gained share in the IC channel over the past 5 years compared the MKE or DeWalt????!
Big Box IMO is an easy distribution channel for tool companies (volume/brand awareness) but being tied to a Big Box distribution channel dilutes the brand/quality/service thru the IC channel.
fred says
Maybe Bosch has done that to themselves. They seem to be a bit less aggressive in introducing new tools in the US market when compared to Milwaukee and Dewalt.
The other – short-lived relationship seems to have been Hilti and Home Depot. Big displays – then suddenly gone. Maybe poor sales – or something else going on.
Of course you can still order a batch of Bosch and Hilti tools on HD’s website
Nathan says
I’m glad to see there’s still a strong presence for the brick and mortar stores.
fred says
We had a Home Depot Design Center next to (only a Michael’s in between) a regular Home Depot store near us. Combined they were huge – but with some duplication – and perhaps one cannibalizing sales of the other – they ultimately they closed the design center.
John says
My local HD. They can be a bit over zealous checking receipts when you walk outside though….
Adam says
I tried finding a list of all the super stores, but am just finding individual news, mainly on the one they opened in California. Is there on in Chicago? I said I never needed to back to Chicago, but I never said I didn’t need to go to a HDSS, if one is located there. One would think one would do well there.
Chris says
Where the employees any helpful or knowledgable? I find 80-90% of the homedepot workers incompetent, that is when I can actually find one! At our local store I have one paint and one plumbing person I will seek out for advice, forget the rest…. But that’s the overwhelming state of retail in the US.
Stuart says
I didn’t ask anyone for anything, but I’ve had fairly good experiences at all HDs in the last few years. My only complaint is that at some stores it can be hard to find someone to cut longer boards or sheet goods, and that HD’s employee-use saws need fresh blades.
Dan M says
HD has employees? Seriously, if you need to find a specific item or seek advice you can spend 15 minutes walking up and down the isles until you find one and get in the queue behind the other people needing help. The help ranges from clueless to very knowledgeable – it’s a crapshoot.
99% of the time I go in, grab an item and self check out. Thank goodness for sites like this where you can read discussions of the pros and cons of a particular tool given the minor visual diffs between models before dropping in to grab exactly the tool you need.
firefly says
I am mad. We live in Texas and there isn’t one here 🙁
PhilnTX says
TEXAS will HAVE to have the Largest on ever!
PhilnTX says
ONE ever!
fm2176 says
I need to visit the Cumberland store in Atlanta. Its description doesn’t say that it’s a Superstore but does say that it is one of the largest square foot stores: http://www.homedepot.com/l/Cumberland/GA/Atlanta/30339/121
It’s also closest to the Store Support Center and in the city where the chain was born, so maybe it’ll be worth the 2-hour drive (and Atlanta traffic). Then again, I didn’t see a Dunkin Donuts on the store map…
Scott K says
Am I correct in thinking that these are the result of taking over the space of closed KMarts that happened to be next door/attached? The IKEA- spend all day here and walk out with stuff you don’t need- model seems to work…
Suzanne says
The Union/Vauxhall store isn’t. That site used to be a giant enclosed fleamarket and a movie theater. Originally they built two stores, Home Depot and Expo, side by side. Then they knocked down the wall between them and made it one huge HD. We love it!
Steve says
Sooooo cool….! I’ve been saying for a long time they need to expand their automotive oil & filter offerings (HD does have basic stuff, while Lowe’s has nothing). More pet stuff would be cool, too. But then, they’d be going against Walmart….and to be completely honest, I turn to WM when buying basic paints, adhesives/abrasives, and general home/garden stuff. Their prices are significantly better and often it’s the same product.
OhioHead says
Dude this is the Menard’s business model……….
Noah says
SAVE BIG MONEY
Steve says
Yeah, I really like Menard’s….but they’re not as common in certain parts of the country.
Bryan says
Thanks for posting this. I’m not far from it and keep forgetting it’s here.
Time to make a visit!
Tator says
Any hilti stuff there.
Chris says
My wife and I love the old Home Depot Expo centers. Perhaps this will bring those back.
Art says
A bit off topic, but while I was in Koln in Germany, I did a quick side trip to Bauhaus … it was a bit stunning to see what we are missing out on as far as “home improvement” stores are concerned. All I can say is that it was amazing:
https://www.bauhaus.info/
Also, looks like there is a superstore out in Anaheim Hills, CA …
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/home-347749-store-new.html
And a Pro store in Colma, CA …
http://www.homedepot.com/l/The-Home-Depot-Pro/CA/Colma/94014/6655
Neil says
I miss the Expo Design Centers. We used to have one here and it was great. I spent a lot of time exploring new items!
fred says
Maybe the Internet helped kill them. We had a lot of clients say that they did their looking at the Expo Center, Lighting or Plumbing supply house – then bought the smaller stuff online – buying only things like tubs, commodes etc. locally. We also had a nearby Viking showroom that also closed up.
Wendal says
This is my everyday (2-3 times a week, actually) store. Didn’t know it was anything special. Most of the extra space has home storage/design/cleaning products and other home decorating stuff. My other local stores (East Hanover and Union) have always had what I needed when happened to be in their respective areas.
The Vauxhall location just had its tool section reconfigured last month. Lots of reps from their respective tool companies laying out their sections.
One reason not to be jealous: the clearance items here are extremely rare and complete trash.