I think there’s a real chance that Flex could replace Makita tools at Home Depot.
Home Depot’s Black Friday 2026 tool deals, or at least most of them, are out now. While Makita is included, they’re not prominently featured.
Makita Maktrak storage products are stagnant. At my local stores, all of the tool boxes have been sitting there for a while, with little movement, judging from the thick layer of dust.
There are reports that Home Depot stores have been clearancing out all Makita XGT cordless power tools. I saw clearance sales at my local stores a few months ago.
Makita has strong offerings.
But this is the question to ask: is Makita bringing shoppers to Home Depot?
Flex has been doing terribly. They have not been launching many new cordless power tools. They have not been launching new accessories. They have not been launching new StackPack tool box or storage products.
Flex was ejected from Lowe’s stores.
How many Flex cordless power tool deals can you find for the 2026 holiday season? There are slim deals buried in the listings of online retailers.
Flex needs a nationwide presence to grow.
Look at Porter Cable to see what happens to a cordless power tool brand that lacks a strong nationwide presence.
Flex is under new leadership.
TTI’s Milwaukee Tool and Ryobi became category leaders under Joseph Galli Jr’s leadership. Now, Galli is at the helm of Chervon, which owns the Flex brand.
Do you think that Flex is going back to Lowe’s? Walmart has Greenworks Pro now. Tractor Supply didn’t do much for Porter Cable. Menards doesn’t have national reach. Amazon? I don’t think so. Ace Hardware doesn’t have the draw or floor space for Flex.
That leaves Home Depot.
Do you which brands do exceptionally well at Home Depot? Milwaukee Tool and Ryobi. And these arrangements were put in place with Galli at the helm of TTI.
There’s all kinds of talk about how Galli will transform Flex into a powerhouse brand. Do you think a new “end user research and jobsite marketing team” lead will do that? A new VP of “sales, training, and recruiting?”
No – Galli is going to have to spend big bucks to get the attention of end users.
Flex is going to need a national footprint – like what they once enjoyed at Lowe’s.
Makita’s presence at Home Depot seems to have become strained.
From what I’ve seen, Makita doesn’t bring many customers to stores. Could Flex bring customers to Home Depot?
That’s what it comes down to. Home Depot wants more foot traffic. They want shoppers to choose their stores and offerings over what they could buy at Lowe’s or Amazon.
Galli is going to have rip Chevon’s pocketbook open to turn things around. That could create a situation where Flex can offer competitive offerings at aggressive offerings on a nationwide scale.
What would the 5-year plan look like? 10-year?
Maybe there’s room for Makita AND Flex at Home Depot. But 4 pro-grade cordless power tool brands? The shelves would get crowded.
Frankly, I don’t want to see this happen. I’m not happy with Makita’s selection at Home Depot, and definitely not the pricing. But I think it’s still a reasonable match.
But from a pure business standpoint, I think Flex has much more to offer the home improvement retailer.
There’s also a question as to whether Flex and Chervon can afford it. A favorable arrangement would likely require an extended commitment, and that would mean deep bankroll on Chervon’s part.
How else could Chervon grow the Flex brand in the USA? Maybe they can do this through independent dealers alone, but I doubt it.
Do you think Milwaukee Tool would be where it is today if not for their placement at Home Depot? That’s the type of movement that Flex needs, and Home Depot’s their best option.
There could of course be angles that I’m not seeing.
Take a look at Home Depot’s Black Friday tool deals. Can anyone really argue that it wouldn’t be a boon for Flex to be included there? Scroll through the list – how many Makita deals do you see there? If Makita were to be replaced with Flex, how many shoppers would really notice or care?
Home Depot placement is crucial. Makita has it, and I think Flex wants it.
Which brand has the bigger pocketbook? If Makita is faced with potentially losing (more) shelf space at Home Depot, perhaps that could drive more spending or other incentives.
Maybe Flex has other avenues for growth. Maybe Home Depot is happy with the status quo with Makita.
We’ll see what happens.
