(5) Home Depot and HGTV are grifting us.
When Home Depot became the largest hardware chain in 1989, it began to “search for ways to redefine its marketplace.” Guess what they did? Pivoted the role of a hardware store from home repair to home improvement.
The deal was sealed when HGTV launched in 1994, with the home renovation “before and after” formula that is still their brand today. Here's a good deep dive by the Atlantic on why we all think we constantly need to be improving our homes…