1
The Home Depot Lingo
Updated: 8/11
A&C GRAPH – Associate and Customer Graph
ASN – advanced shipment notice
AACG – Associate Advice and Counsel Group
associate – lowercase – any employee of
The Home Depot. We use the term
“associates” rather than “employees.” This
applies to all full-time, part-time, salaried
and hourly associates
AARP – originally stood for American Association
of Retired Persons. As of 1999, the shortened title
is AARP. (The Home Depot had a hiring
partnership with AARP.)
best-in-class – two hyphens whether used as a
noun or adjective; always lowercase except as a
proper noun or in a title or heading
best practices – no hyphen, no capitals
BIA – bay integrity associate
ASW – average sales per week
BIC – best-in-class
AC – Associate Communications
ASW(F) – average sales per week forecast
admin – administrative assistant
A-velocity – products that sell the fastest
ad event – notification of special storewide events
to come
AIMS – Associate Information Management
System
All-Store Meeting – monthly meeting of all of a
store’s associates
AMEX – American Express
AwareLine -- (also known as The Home
Depot Awareness Line) - a toll-free
number available to associates to report
possible illegal activity or violations of
company policy
Bid Room – Where Special Services orders are
submitted for pricing review (now called Volume
Pricing Program)
Big 3 – Customer Service, In-Stock, Store
Appearance (Marvin’s big three initiatives)
bill of lading – label attached to product being
delivered
B2B – business to business
baby SKU – for a single product, e.g., a
single tile
bin label – narrow strip labels for items on
peghooks
BOD – board of directors
AOTF – Aprons on the Floor
Back End – Receiving area of the store
BOL – bill of lading
AP – Accounts Payable; Asset Protection
API – Asset Protection investigator
Back to Campus – back-to-school sales
promo event
BOPIS – Buy Online Pick Up in Store
APM – Asset Protection Manager
bar code – two words
BORIS – Buy Online Return in Store
APS – Asset Protection Specialist
bay – selection of racking with product in it
BR – business review
AR – Automatic Replenishment program
BBH – Building Better Health
B/S – Balance Sheet
ASDS – Associate Support Department Supervisor
BEAR – Back End Automation and Reengineering program
Buyer MD – Buyer Markdown
BYO – buying office
ASM – assistant store manager
“Before the Apron” – a training video
2
The Home Depot Lingo
Updated: 8/11
CAM – Customer Account Management
CFO – chief financial officer
crossbars
CAN – Canada, Canadian Dollars
Chep – high-end pallet
CareerDepot – an internal, online job posting
system accessible via Internet and myApron
CIO – chief information officer
cross-merchandise or cross-merchandising –
strategically merchandising complementary items
to gain incremental sales
CITI – Citicorp Bank
CAO – computer assisted ordering
CapEX – Capital Expenditures
clipstrip – long, metal strip with clips; used
to cross-merchandise small items (projectcompleters) to vertical beams in bay
CRS – Computer Room supervisor; Centralized
Replenishment System
CSM – client services manager
CSO – China sourcing office
CARE – caring, assisting and responding to
employees program
Close Quote Follow-up – not “closed”
CARE/Solutions for Life – lowercase “f” in “for”
CNENG – Canadian English
CASHEND – Product displays in front of cash
register
COB – close of business
cu. in. – cubic inch
Customers FIRST – the Company’s set of
behaviors that governs customer service. F=Find’
I=Inquire; R=Respect; S=Solve; T=Thank
CO – Certificate of Occupancy
CBA – cost benefit analysis
COGS – cost of goods sold
CBP – Competitor Battle Plan
Damage Waiver - additional fee that protects
customer if tool is damaged during normal tool
usage
CCA – cost center accounting
Comp – comparative sales; comparative
stores; compensation
DC – distribution center
CCAO – cyclical computer assisted ordering
COO – chief operating officer
DDS – division services director (also DSD)
CCEA – Corporate Communications and External
Affairs
Co-Op – Advertising co-operative
agreement
DEAD PO – A cancelled purchase order
CD – construction document
COS – customer order specialist
CDS – central delivery service
CRA – computer room associate
CEO – chief executive officer
CRC – Commercial Revolving Charge
(Credit Card)
DHRM – district human resources manager
DIDO – day-in, day-out (pricing)
DIFM – do-it-for-me
DIH – do-it-herself (not DiH)
C/F – cash flow statement
CFL – compact fluorescent light (bulbs)
critical path – responsibility time frame
and tracking schedule
DISCO – discontinued product
3
The Home Depot Lingo
Updated: 8/11
DIY – do-it-yourself
EBIT – earnings before income & taxes
DIYer – capital “DIY,” lowercase “er” – do-ityourselfer
EBITDA – earnings before income & taxes
depreciation and amortization
DM – district manager
EBITR – earnings before income, taxes &
returns
DO – district office
Do-It-Herself, Do-It-Herself Workshops – capital
“I,” use hyphens
DOL – Department of Labor
eBuy – the online purchasing system
accessed through myApron for associates
who want to purchase for their department
or stores. A wide range of catalog and noncatalog items are hosted on this site.
DPD – division Pro director
e-crates – reusable and collapsible metalframed crates used to ship John Deere
lawn tractors to stores
DR – delivery receipt
EDI – electronic data interchange
Drive It Home sales incentive program
EDW – enterprise data warehouse
DS – department supervisor
EEOC – Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission
DOM – District Operations Manager
Employee Self Service (ESS) – a Web-based
system available for all associates to process, store
and update their personal information, including
name, address and emergency contact – ESS is
located on myApron’s Self Service tab
Employer of Choice (EOC) – when talking in a
future-oriented way, discuss our goal or
commitment and use “the” (not “an”). “Our goal is
to become the Employer of Choice – not just an
employer of choice.”
endcap – large display of products at end of aisle
E/O – Eco Options, an exclusive environmentally
friendly brand by The Home Depot
EOC – Employer of Choice
EOD – end of day
EOM – end of month
EPP – extended protection plan
DSAP – Department Safety Awareness Plans
EPS – earnings per share
DSM – district services manager
e-Forms – online forms for customer
satisfaction, donations, asset transfers,
and dispositions – they replace paper
forms and automate these processes
DSOD – department supervisor on duty
EI – ending inventory
DST – department supervisor training
EJ – expense journal; electronic journal
eRoom – a communication platform to share
information across regions/divisions (reports,
training channel, and best practices
DWCC – delivery will call coordinator
eLearning
ESOP – employee stock ownership program
EAP – Employee Assistance Program
EM – emerging markets
ESP – extended service plan (now extended
protection plan)
EAS – electronic article surveillance
EMM – emerging markets manager
DSD – division services director (also DDS)
ERISA – Employee Retirement Income Security
Act
ESPP – employee stock purchase plan
4
The Home Depot Lingo
Updated: 8/11
GALV – galvanized footplate
GC – general contractor; gift card
EVP – executive vice president
FIRST – the Company’s set of behaviors
that governs customer service. F=Find’
I=Inquire; R=Respect; S=Solve; T=Thank
ET – Eastern time
FMVP – field merchandising vice president
gift card/GC/The Home Depot Gift Card – use
initial capitals for “gift card” only when used with
“The Home Depot“
E-velocity – products that sell the slowest
FOB – freight on board
ext. – extension
Front Apron – the area across the front of
the store, usually the concrete pad, that
extends from the corner of the outside
Garden fence to where the building ends at
Lumber (past the Contractor canopy). The
Apron also includes anything sticking out
into the fire lane or corrals that may be set
up seasonally in the Lot.
ESS – employee self service
GL – general ledger
FAQ – frequently asked questions
F&I – Furnish and Install
F1 – fixture plan
F/T – full-time
FAST – Friendly, Accurate and Safe Transactions
(formerly Front End Accuracy and Service
Transformation)
Front End – no hyphen, capitalize – the
part of the store that consists of Front End
supervisors, head cashiers, cashiers and
Lot associates. The Front End includes the
main line, Contractor, Tool Corral, Garden,
Returns and Self-Checkout registers.
FAK – freight all kinds
ft. – foot
FBO – furnished by owner
FC – freight claims
FY – fiscal year – no space when used
with year (The Home Depot fiscal year is
Feb.1 through Jan. 31.) Example: FY2008
FDMM – field divisional merchandising manager
FYE – fiscal year end
Fenceline – one word, initial capital – a
merchandising location in front of The Home Depot
stores
G&A – general and administrative
FaST – forecast and scheduling tool
FES – Front End supervisor
FID – field implementation director
GM – gross margin
GMROI – gross margin return on investment
GN9000/GN9001 sign kit – preprinted signs and
banners, respectively, that ship to the stores to
coordinate with MAP execution
GO – grand opening
GPM – global product merchant
GSA – Government Services Administration
GS&A – General, Selling and Administrative
Hardlines – lumber, hardware, millworks
HC – head cashier
HCA – Hispanic Contractor Association
HDPS – Home Depot paint system
GAAP – Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles
HD SIC – Home Depot Standard Industry Code
(field in Salesforce.com)
HDTV – The Home Depot Television
gal. – gallon
Home Depot Consumer Credit Card
5
The Home Depot Lingo
Homedepot.com – Company website
Updated: 8/11
IMS Inventory Management Systems –
warehouse for storing signs and forms
apostrophe
KRONOS – timekeeping system
host buy, host order (used interchangeably) – an
order placed on behalf of the store by divisional or
national merchandising groups
IMU – initial markup
HORT – horticulture
InFocus – a safety program, newsletter
and broadcast
in. – inch
HOST PO – H/O merchant report
KPI – Key Performance Indicator (e.g. KPI Report)
L&P GRAPH – scheduled graphs for labor and
productivity
LAN – Local Area Network
InFocus team
HOURS REC – hours reconciliation report
How-To Clinic – hyphen between “how” and “to”
in-store – as an adjective, lowercase and
hyphenate Example: In-store vendor reps
set the endcap.
hp – horsepower (24hp)
IP – intellectual property; Internet protocol
HPAPL – Home Depot Approved Project List
large-scale – hyphenated as adjective
lb. – pound
lbs. – pounds
IR – Investor Relations
LDC – Lumber distribution center
lin. ft. – linear foot
IS – Information Systems
LOA – leave of absence
HRSC – Human Resource Service Center
ISID – International Society of Interior
Design
LOI – Letter of Intent
HRIS – Human Resources Information Systems
ISP – in-store processor
HRR – HR Review
IT – Information Technology
HRVP – Human Resources vice president
IVR – Interactive Voice Response
I2 of 5 – interleaved two of five (bar code)
JLQ – Job Lot Quantity
IDC – Import distribution center
JPP – Job Preference Process
IFY – Installed For You
key-rec – the document process used to
record the receipt or movement of goods to
authorize payment
HPE – House Plant Enclosure
HR – Human Resources
IM – Inventory Management
Kids Workshop – program name, no
LP – Loss Prevention
LTR – likelihood to recommend
LTT – less than truckload
Lunch ‘n Learn
LVL – laminated veneer lumber
MA – managed account
Main Street – Atlanta SSC term for main
thoroughfare that links the campus buildings
6
The Home Depot Lingo
mama SKU – for a full case of a product, e.g., a
box of tiles
Updated: 8/11
NOPASM – night ops assistant store manager
MLP – merchandising leadership program
OAM – Operations assistant store manager
Manager Self Service (MSS) – a Web-based
system that enables managers to process, store
and access HR information for their direct reports –
with MSS, associates who have direct reports can
perform a broad range of HR transactions including
Transfers, Job Changes and Pay Rate Changes –
MSS is accessible on myApron
MPP – manual process & procedures
OE – organizational effectiveness
MOD – manager on duty
moulding – not “molding” Example: crown
moulding
on-hands – amount of product a store has in stock
(synonymous with “in-stock”)
online – one word and never hyphenated
MRO – maintenance repair operation
MT – Master Trainer
Online UPC – a system that enables cashiers to
look up a product by category to find its SKU
MTD – month to date
on-site – as adjective or adverb
MTS – master trade specialist
OPEN TUB – Status of order before arrival at store
MU/MD – markup/markdown
OSB – oriented strand board
multi-use
O/T – overtime
MVP – Merchandising vice president
OTJ – on the job
myApron – a store-facing communication
platform that hosts news, applications,
standard operating procedures and shares
information across regions/divisions
OTS – off the shelf
MAP – merchandising action planner
MASM – Merchandising assistant store manager
MDA – Mutual Non Disclosure Agreement
MEA – Merchandising execution associate
MEC – Monthly Executive Council
MEM – Merchandising execution manager
MERM – Merchandising execution regional
manager
MET – Merchandising Execution Team
MICR – Magnetic Ink Character Recognition
(number)
MX or MEX Mexico
miter – not “mitre”
NewPOS – new point-of-sale
MK – markup/markdown
NDA – non disclosure agreement
MKDN – markdown
NLP – New Lower Price
mkt. – market
NMF – mo match found
O/UPlan – Over/under plan
oz. – ounce
P – president (division)
PAR – Pro account rep
MLL – Manager Leadership and Learning
PASA – Pro account sales associate
PHH – Leasing company for rental vehicles (Tool
Rental)
P&L – a store’s income statement (profit and loss
7
The Home Depot Lingo
statement) – it shows the store’s revenues and
expenses and compares these results to plan and
last year
Updated: 8/11
QSSM – quarterly store support meeting
POP – point-of-purchase
qt. – quart
part-time – hyphenated as adjective
portal – online gateway to company
policies, processes, transactions; provides
information, tools and services needed to
manage an associate’s work life
pc. – piece
POS – point-of-sale
pg. – page
POSM – pre-opening store meeting
pgs. – pages
PR – Public Relations; Puerto Rico
PI – physical inventory
PII – product information initiative
Pro Desk – used to be called Contractor
Services; designated area in store for
contractor customers
PIR – physical inventory reconciliation
PSI – pounds per square inch
PJ – Purchase Journal
PSM – Pro sales manager
pk. – pack
pt. – part
Returns Receipt Look Up – always use “s” on
“Returns”
PK – product knowledge
Q1 – first quarter (February–April)
RFP – request for proposal
Planogram (POG) – two-dimensional diagram of a
merchandising set
Q2 – second quarter (May–July)
RGA – returned goods authorization
Q3 – third quarter (August–October)
RHRD – regional human resources director
Q4 – fourth quarter (November–January)
RHRM (MET) – regional human resources
manager (Merchandising Execution Team)
P/T – part-time
rack captain – assistant manager assigned to give
add-on sell orders to store planner
RARM – regional associate relations manager
RDC – Rapid deployment center
RDO – regional director of Operations
Receiving – area in back of store where freight is
received
Related merchandise - merchandise that
can/should be used with a tool
Returns associate – not Returns cashier
PLR – product line review
PLU – price look up
QA – quality assurance
RMM – regional merchandising manager
PMO – product management office
QB – Quebec
ROA – Return on Assets
PO – purchase order
QLM – quick learning module
ROI – Return on Investment
PO ACTIVITY – purchase order report
QOM – quarterly officer meeting
POD – proof of delivery
ROIC – Return on Invested Capital
8
The Home Depot Lingo
Updated: 8/11
SOP – standard operating procedures
ROP – run of press, newspaper ad
SEC – Securities and Exchange
Commission
SOQ – standard order quantity
RPSM – regional pro sales manager
RSG – Retail Staffing Group
RSC – Retail Staffing Center
SEMM – senior emerging markets
manager
SF&I – Sell, Furnish and Install (no spaces
between letters/characters)
RSM – regional services manager
SOSI – Special Order Services Initiative
special buy – lower retail price on promotional
product for a specified period of time – most often
refers to a host buy of product outside the current
mix
SG Signage
RTV – return to vendor
Shop ’N Chek
RVP – regional vice president
SAP – Systems Applications Products
Shrink – difference between book
inventory and on-hand inventory –
shortage
special order – items not in stock or carried in the
store’s inventory that associates can order for
customers direct from our vendors – in some
cases, the order must be custom made
Special Services – not singular (include “s”)
SASM – specialty assistant store manager
SBA – supplier buying agreement
SCHs – scheduled receipt
SCK – store communication kit
sidecap – product display at entrance to
aisle in the first bay; designed to lead
customer into aisle; runs adjacent to
endcap; contains shallow shelves or peg
hooks to accommodate merchandise and
signs
Specialty Sales
sq. in. – square inch
SDO – senior director of Operations
SS – Special Services
SCO – self-checkout
SKU – stock keeping unit; used for product
identification and inventory tracking
SSC – store support center
SLA – Service Level Agreement
SSE – statement of stockholders' equity
SLE – store level entry
SSN – shipment status notice; social security
number
SDHR – Senior Director Human Resources
SDO – Senior Director Operations
SEAS ADJ – seasonal adjustment
SM – store manager
SME – subject matter expert
Stackout – product displays in aisles of related
merchandise
SO – special order
Stickers – Wood decking that sits on shelves
Softlines – décor, lighting
Store Comm – Store communications
seasonal index – forecast planning report
Seasonal Swing – area inside front of store
containing rotating, seasonal stock and advertised
promotions – most often includes items that
currently do not have a permanent, year-round
home in the run of store
9
The Home Depot Lingo
Updated: 8/11
Store MD – Store markdown
UOI – Unit of issue
VP&S – Vendor Product & Services Workbook
UPC – Universal Product Code
W – Watt (75W)
up-sell
WAN – Wide Area Network
SVP – senior vice president
USENG – U.S. English
WBT – Web-based training
swell – difference between book inventory and onhand inventory in excess
USSP – U.S. Spanish
WIL – Women in Leadership
V – volt (6V)
wingstack – promotional quarter pallet of
merchandise strategically placed in the aisle to
drive incremental and impulse sales; typically has a
30–60 day promotional sell-through period
Success Sharing – program name, initial capitals
– a program for providing a cash payout to
associates based on stores meeting and exceeding
sales plans for a six-month period
T&A – Time and Attendance Sheet
Take-Off – Forms for determining fixtures needs
TAA –Technology Access Agreement
TAB – tabloid advertising
table saw – two words
TF – transit facility
VAN – Value added network
VASM – Vendor approved sign manual
WLM – Workload Management
VC – velocity code
VCS – vendor control sheets
VDO – Virtual district office
THD – The Home Depot
Vendor Service
TIMS – transfer invoice matching system
VM – visual merchandiser; voice mail
Tool kit – lowercase when stands alone; capitalize
as part of a proper name
VOC – voice of the customer
TR – Tool Rental
TRC – Tool Rental Center
trend – analysis
Workload Management – a central electronic
database for all store projects; aids in allocating
resources
WOS – weeks of stock
WTD – week to date
YOW – Your “other” Warehouse
VP – vice president
VPP – Volume Pricing Program (where
Special Services orders are submitted for
pricing review; formerly Pro Bid Room)
TROM – tool rental operation manager
VPMSS – vice president Merchandising
Sales and Service
UCC – Uniform Code Council
VPOS – virtual point-of-sale (register)
Merchandising Departments
21:
22:
23:
Lumber
Building Materials
Flooring
10
The Home Depot Lingo
24:
25:
25H:
25T:
26:
27E:
27L:
28:
D28I:
D28O:
29K:
29A:
30:
59:
Paint
Hardware (now split into two)
Hardware
Tools
Plumbing
Electrical
Lighting
Garden (now split into two)
Outdoor Living & Power
Live Goods & Landscaping
Kitchen
Appliances
Millwork
Blinds, Storage & Organization
40: Aprons on the Floor
Updated: 8/11