Home Depot has spent the past week in the headlines for all the wrong reasons: a sprawling theft ring targeting its stores, a researcher exposing a serious internal security lapse, and renewed scrutiny of how one of America’s biggest retailers is preparing for a shaky consumer economy. But behind the drama, the company is also quietly investing in community projects, tech partnerships, and long-term growth.
Here’s what’s really going on inside the orange giant right now.
A $2.2 Million Theft Ring Built Around Home Depot
Authorities in the Northeast say a professional shoplifting crew spent more than a year treating Home Depot as their personal warehouse.
Prosecutors in New York announced that
13 people were charged in a 780‑count indictment tied to a
$2.2 million theft ring that hit Home Depot stores across
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Rhode Island. The group allegedly stole goods from at least
128 Home Depot locations and then funneled the merchandise to black‑market resellers.
According to investigators, this was not casual shoplifting:
- The crew allegedly met
almost daily at 5:30 a.m. in a parking lot to plan that day’s “hits.”
- They chose stores based on
inventory visible in Home Depot’s own website and app, targeting locations with the best stock.
- Single‑day hauls reportedly ranged from
about $1,800 to nearly $35,000 in stolen goods.
- Common targets:
power tools, insulation kits, buckets of reflective roof coating, air conditioners, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Police say they broke the case using
license plate readers and court‑authorized electronic surveillance, then seized “voluminous amounts” of stolen merchandise from
three homes, 14 storage units and eight vehicles.
ABC News reports that more than
$2 million in merchandise was ultimately stolen from the 128 stores across multiple states, underscoring how organized retail crime has become a multi‑state, high‑dollar problem for big-box chains like Home Depot.
A Researcher Says Home Depot’s Internal Systems Were Exposed for a Year
While prosecutors were tracking thieves on the ground, a security researcher was quietly warning that
Home Depot’s internal tech systems were sitting exposed on the internet.
According to reporting by
TechCrunch, security researcher
Nathaniel Zimmermann discovered an
exposed access token on a public GitHub page that granted access to some of Home Depot’s
internal IT systems. The token allegedly:
- Was publicly accessible for
about a year.
- Allowed access to at least one
internal system used by Home Depot employees.
- Was removed and revoked
only after TechCrunch contacted the company.
The story also highlighted a more structural problem:
Home Depot does not operate a public vulnerability disclosure or bug bounty program, meaning researchers like Zimmermann had no clear way to report the flaw safely. He ultimately went to the press to get the issue addressed.
Home Depot acknowledged receiving TechCrunch’s inquiry on December 5 but
did not answer follow‑up questions about the incident, including how many systems were exposed or whether any malicious access was detected. That silence is notable at a time when retailers are under pressure to prove they take cybersecurity and customer trust seriously—especially given Home Depot’s history, including its widely reported 2014 data breach (noted in older public records, not in this week’s coverage).
Despite Headaches, Home Depot Is Reaffirming Its 2025–2026 Outlook
Against this backdrop of theft and security questions, Home Depot’s leadership is trying to project calm to Wall Street.
At a recent investor conference,
Home Depot reaffirmed its fiscal 2025 guidance and issued a preliminary outlook for 2026, signaling confidence that the home‑improvement slowdown is manageable.
Key points from the company’s latest projections:
-
2025 total sales growth: about
3%.
-
2025 comparable sales: expected to be
slightly positive for the comparable 52‑week period.
-
2025 gross margin: around
33.2%.
-
2025 diluted EPS: projected to
decline about 6% from 2024 (with adjusted EPS down about
5%).
-
New stores: about
12 new locations planned for fiscal 2025.
-
Capital spending: around
2.5% of total sales.
Looking ahead to
2026, Home Depot is assuming a still‑choppy housing and renovation market:
-
Comparable sales growth: flat to +2%.
-
Total sales growth: 2.5% to 4.5%.
-
Operating margin: roughly
12%.
-
EPS growth: expected to be
flat to up 4%.
The company also sketched a more optimistic
“market recovery” scenario, in which:
- Total sales grow
about 5% to 6%.
- Comparable sales rise
4% to 5%.
- Operating profit grows
faster than sales.
-
EPS climbs in the mid‑to‑high single digits.
CEO
Ted Decker framed the outlook around share gains in an estimated
$1.1 trillion total addressable market, arguing that Home Depot’s scale, supply chain, and pro‑customer focus leave it well‑positioned even if broader home‑improvement spending stays muted.
A Softer Side: “Wrapped 2025” and Community Investments
Amid the tougher news, Home Depot has been eager to spotlight its philanthropy and brand‑building efforts, packaging its year in a
“The Home Depot Wrapped 2025” recap.
Highlights from the company’s own year‑end look‑back:
-
10 new stores opened across the U.S., plus one expansion and one remodel.
- A
$10 million investment in skilled trades training through
The Home Depot Foundation, including partnerships with
Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the
Path to Pro program.
- Sustainability work with the
Arbor Day Foundation, helping plant
thousands of trees in 2025.
- Disaster‑relief support following
tornadoes in St. Louis, floods in Central Texas, and Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, along with a new
disaster response page to track on‑the‑ground efforts.
- A
$3 million commitment to support recovery from the
Southern California wildfires.
- Milestones in veteran housing, including the
100th “smart home” with the Gary Sinise Foundation and
thousands of critical home repairs in partnership with nonprofits like Meals on Wheels America and Purple Heart Homes.
- Expanded
military exchange program access and more than
1,000 volunteer projects completed during the company’s
Celebration of Service campaign.
The retailer also quietly launched a
Home Depot Creator Portal, designed to connect influencers with home‑improvement enthusiasts and create new revenue opportunities via social‑driven project inspiration and product promotion. That move plants Home Depot more firmly in the creator‑economy game, where brands like Amazon and Walmart already compete for content‑driven sales.
Why This All Matters for Shoppers and Investors
Put together, the latest “Depot” news paints a picture of a company trying to
hold its ground on three fronts at once:
-
Shrink and crime: Organized retail crime is not just a line item—it’s a multimillion‑dollar drag that can impact prices, store security measures, and the in‑store experience. The scale of the alleged theft ring underscores why retailers are lobbying for tougher laws and better tools to fight professional shoplifters.
-
Cyber and trust: The exposure of an internal access token for roughly a year—paired with the lack of a formal way for researchers to report flaws—raises questions about Home Depot’s security culture just as attacks on retail IT and supply‑chain systems are accelerating.
-
Macro and momentum: Reaffirming 2025 guidance and sketching an optimistic 2026 “recovery” scenario sends a message: Home Depot is betting that the home‑improvement slowdown has a ceiling, not a cliff.
For everyday customers, the most visible changes may come in the form of:
-
Tighter in‑store security, particularly around high‑value items like power tools and HVAC equipment.
- Continued
marketing around community work, veterans, and sustainability, as Home Depot tries to balance tough headlines with feel‑good stories.
- More
content‑driven shopping via influencer partnerships and project‑focused tools online.
For investors, the story is more nuanced. Home Depot is
absorbing hits from crime and tech risks while still forecasting modest growth and strong margins, essentially arguing that its scale and operational discipline are enough to manage the turbulence.
The big question heading into 2026: can the company keep theft, cyber risk, and a cautious consumer in chec
Sources
1. Home Depot reaffirms 2025 guidance, provides preliminary 2026 ...
2. The Home Depot Wrapped 2025: A Year of Building Good
3. Home Depot target of major theft ring, prosecutors say - ABC News
4. Thirteen charged in $2.2M Home Depot theft ring - ABC 33/40
5. Home Depot exposed access to internal systems for a year, says ...
