Home Depot, Hertz launch Military Appreciation Month contest and travel perk

Associates in stores with veterans, military spouses and customers tied to nearby bases have a fresh May selling point: Home Depot and Hertz have launched a Military Appreciation Month partnership that pairs a national contest with a travel perk for verified military discount members.

The contest runs through May 31 and will pick three winners for a package built around the kinds of products Home Depot teams move every day. Prizes include a vehicle from Hertz Car Sales, Husky workbench and rolling jobsite box, a $1,000 Home Depot gift card and, in one case, a garage storage upgrade. For stores, that matters because it points shoppers straight at categories that already matter in spring and early summer: tools, garage organization and home project gear.

The bigger customer-side perk runs longer. Home Depot Verified Military Discount members are being upgraded to Hertz Five Star status from May 1 through July 4, a move Hertz says lets qualifying members skip the counter and unlock enhanced rewards and benefits. That gives the partnership a practical angle beyond branding, especially for military families heading into the busy summer travel season.

Home Depot said the campaign was timed for Military Appreciation Month and as the nation looks ahead to its 250th anniversary. Erin Izen, senior director of community investments at The Home Depot, said, “taking care of the military community is core to the company’s values.” That message fits a company that has long leaned on military service in its community and culture messaging, especially in stores where a large share of the workforce or customer base has military ties.

The retailer’s military discount now extends to all U.S. veterans, active service members and spouses every day, after an expansion in 2021 that made the benefit available for in-store and online purchases through the Home Depot app. The company says eligible members receive 10% off select in-stock items, a detail store managers and department leads know can influence traffic in higher-ticket categories when customers are comparing options for a project.

The partnership also lands in a broader corporate push. The Home Depot Foundation says it has invested more than $650 million in veteran causes since 2011 and improved more than 70,000 veteran homes and facilities, with a pledge to reach $750 million in veteran causes by 2030. Home Depot says tens of thousands of its associates are veterans, one reason military themes keep surfacing in internal culture and external campaigns. The company also launched a Military Moving hub in May 2024 to help active-duty families handling personally procured moves, underscoring that this month’s Hertz tie-up is part of a longer pattern rather than a one-off promotion.