The Home Depot is doubling down on supply chain automation with the acquisition of SIMPL Automation, a move designed to accelerate fulfilment speed, improve warehouse efficiency, and strengthen last-mile delivery performance.
Automation Designed for Faster Fulfilment
The retailer announced it has acquired the Waltham, Massachusetts-based automation specialist as part of its broader strategy to enhance its interconnected retail model and support faster same-day and next-day delivery for customers across both residential and professional jobsite channels.
SIMPL Automation specializes in advanced engineering and AI-powered systems that help distribution facilities move products faster and operate more efficiently.
Its technology is designed to improve distribution center performance by increasing pick speed, reducing cycle times, and minimizing product touches—all critical metrics for retailers managing high-volume fulfillment networks.
The acquisition follows a successful pilot deployment at The Home Depot’s Locust Grove, Georgia distribution center, where the company said SIMPL’s systems delivered measurable operational improvements across those key areas.
SIMPL also brings a patented storage and retrieval solution that helps maximize storage density inside facilities. This allows more high-demand products to be stored closer to customers, improving inventory availability while supporting faster delivery windows.
Supporting Same-Day and Next-Day Delivery
The Home Depot says the acquisition directly supports its strategy to strengthen same-day and next-day fulfillment capabilities across its supply chain network.
By increasing storage efficiency and accelerating product flow through distribution centers, the retailer can reduce delays between order placement and final delivery—whether to a homeowner or directly to a professional contractor’s jobsite.
“We’re focused on providing the best interconnected experience in home improvement by having products in stock and ready to deliver to our customers whether it’s to the home or jobsite,” said Amit Kalra, senior vice president of supply chain at The Home Depot.
“By bringing SIMPL’s industry-leading automation into our operations, we’re accelerating the flow of products through our distribution network to deliver with unprecedented speed and precision.”
That emphasis reflects a wider industry trend where fulfillment performance is becoming a core competitive advantage rather than simply a back-end operational function.
Part of a Larger Supply Chain Innovation Strategy
The SIMPL acquisition is the latest step in The Home Depot’s broader investment in supply chain modernization.
The company says its strategy also includes AI-powered inventory management, advanced analytics, mobile technology, live delivery tracking, and additional forms of automation across its network.
Together, these investments are aimed at creating a more connected and responsive supply chain capable of improving both internal productivity and customer-facing delivery performance.
