Home Depot Dumps Whirlpool for Maytag

Maytag Corp. said all 960 of Home Depot Inc.’s home-improvement stores will sell its washers, dryers and other appliances by year-end, dealing a blow to larger rival Whirlpool Corp. Maytag has sold appliances at Home Depot’s 15 Expo Design Centers, stores that feature home-decoration products such as rugs and bathtubs. Home Depot, which originally agreed to carry Whirlpool’s products, halted orders after the biggest U.S. appliance maker had problems making deliveries. The retailer added “there’s always an open door” to the possibility of working with Whirlpool in the future. Shares in Newton, Iowa-based Maytag rose $2.13 to close at $36.19, Benton Harbor, Mich.-based Whirlpool closed up $1.31 at $61.50, and Home Depot rose $2.56 to close at $66.69, all on the NYSE.