US home improvement giant charters own vessel for the first time
Home Depot has entered the charter business in an effort to tackle supply-chain snarl ups.
By Marc Allen
American DIY company, Home Depot, has chartered its first ship as it struggles to fill its shelves because of Covid-related supply-chain disruption.
The company told CNBC that the recent Covid-19 spike in Chinese ports meant that it had to take matters into its own hands in order to maintain stock levels in its nearly 2,000 stores.
“We have a ship that’s solely going to be ours and it’s just going to go back and forth … 100% dedicated to Home Depot,” chief operating officer Ted Decker said.
Decker said the vessel will begin running in July and will carry power tools, taps, electrical components, fasteners and other “smaller, higher value” goods.
