her than from other competitors. As Home Depot markets become saturated and more stores are opened in the same geographic region (the company continues to open an average of two stores each week), this trend is likely to continue.
The primary strength of the building supply industry is that new home construction occurs on a regular, if seasonal, basis, and home improvement projects enjoy a constant demand (whether the work is done by the homeowner or a contractor matters little to the industry since the supplies required are the same). This strength is key to the industry because it means that the segment is not subject to the same pressures as other industries. Instead, the industry is insulated from consumer whims since the basic building materials for homes and their fixtures remain in relatively constant demand, and even increase as the population increases.
The industry also has an important weakness, however, and that is its dependence on the largest ticket item that consumers pu
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