Home Depot hopes to broaden customer base

ATLANTA - The Home Depot says it will broaden its customer base beyond its do-it-yourself clientele. <br> <br> The company also says its reported earnings growth this year will meet expectations but sales will be only modestly higher. <br> <br> Chief Executive Officer Bob Nardelli also says he may have underestimated how difficult it would be for the nation&#39;s largest home improvement store chain to complete a transition to a more centralized operation. He says the company wants to satisfy its customers ``whether they are do-it-yourselfers or professionals, male or female.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Lowe&#39;s -- based in Wilkesboro, North Carolina -- is only half the size of Home Depot. But it has been gaining ground in recent years on the longtime market leader. <br> <br> Home Depot has been trying to retool its identity and appeal to different kinds of customers.