More U.S. consumers are relying on rewards programs to save money amid economic uncertainty, and Home Depot is leaning further into this trend by expanding its rewards to win back customers. According to a recent survey from LoyaltyLion, 90% of consumers said being enrolled in a loyalty program makes them repeat purchases from that brand. Also, 53% are more likely to join a loyalty program amid economic uncertainty, while 60% are more inclined to visit stores that offer redeemable points and rewards. “Given the economy, we’ve done a lot of research that buyers – both consumers and B2B (business-to-business) buyers – are looking for any way to get some sort of discount,” said Halle Stern, director analyst in Gartner’s marketing practice, in a recent report from CX Dive. Home Depot expands rewards programAs more consumers seek rewards programs from retailers, Home Depot has expanded its free Pro Xtra Rewards offerings. It has added four new perks from four different brands to the program to help its Pro customers (residential and commercial professional contractors) “manage and grow their business,” according to a recent press release. The first offer gives customers $0.25 off per gallon (up to five fills) at 7-Eleven gas stations. Second is a $20 discount on Jimmy John’s orders that are over $100. The last two include 20% off Tecovas work boots and a seven-day free trial, plus two months free of the Professional Plan or Scale Plan at Rosie’s AI Answering Service. Related: Home Depot struggles to reverse a concerning customer trend”Our Pro customers live on the go,” said Mike Rowe, executive vice president of Pro at Home Depot, in the press release. “They are managing crews, bouncing between jobsites and working long hours.”“Two-thirds of our Pro online users leverage The Home Depot app regularly to help manage their business, projects, orders and more, so it only made sense to embed these new partner offers right inside the app to give them a frictionless way to access them,” he continued. Home Depot said that Pro Xtra partner offers will refresh quarterly, and these perks are “based on direct feedback” from Pro customers. Rewards members should expect to see upcoming offers stem across four categories: fuel and fleet, lifestyle and travel, food and beverage, and business management.
Home Depot expands its Pro Xtra Rewards program amid sales struggles. Sundry Photography / Getty Images
Home Depot is battling weak consumer demandHome Depot’s latest change comes as it faces sluggish sales growth. In the first quarter of 2026, its U.S. comparable sales rose only 0.4% year over year, while operating income decreased 3%, according to its most recent earnings report. During an earnings call in May, Home Depot CEO Ted Decker said the company has noticed customers are avoiding large home improvement projects as the U.S. housing market continues to face headwinds, which is impacting sales. “The main thing is just this uncertainty that’s holding them back for taking on large projects,” said Decker. “And then you add to that with the higher rates, housing turnovers remain low, industry is not expecting a lot of growth in housing turnover this year, and new construction starts in sales are also trending down.”Housing turnover has indeed declined over the past few years as interest rates in the U.S. housing market remain high, and the situation hasn’t dramatically improved. More Retail:Target sees unexpected shift in customer behaviorPublix faces consumer boycott threat after store policy changeRoss Stores CEO eyes a change that could drive away shoppersIn June, existing-home sales decreased by 2.8% year over year, according to data from the National Association of Realtors. Also, the median existing-home sales price reached $440,600, reflecting a 1.8% year-over-year increase.Freddie Mac data also revealed that the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage in June hit 6.49%, up from 6.44% in May.“The back-and-forth in monthly home sales activity, driven by mild fluctuations in mortgage rates, shows how sensitive home buyers are to affordability conditions,” said Lawrence Yun, National Association of Realtors chief economist, in a press release. “The median home price has reached an all-time high,” he added. “Even so, affordability is better than a year ago because wage growth is outpacing home price growth.”As Home Depot navigates a challenging housing market, Decker said on the earnings call that the company will sharpen its focus on winning over more Pro customers, which it believes will help it access a billion-dollar market. “So we think Pro is an enormous opportunity for us,” said Decker. “As we’ve said, it’s an addressable market of about $700 billion.”Related: Kohl’s drops generous offers as it tries to win back customers