Home Depot, Allstate in Repair Alliance

Home Depot Inc. is providing materials for home repairs to Allstate Corp. customers as part of a new alliance, the companies said. Northbrook, Ill.-based Allstate, the No. 2 U.S. property-casualty insurer, said it expects to save $30 million to $50 million on claims expenses this year from the alliance. An Allstate spokesman said the alliance, which makes Atlanta-based Home Depot materials available to Allstate customers for home insurance repairs, started in January but was first announced Tuesday. “I doubt we’ll be passing the expense reductions to policyholders in the form of price reductions,” Jim Dudas, an Allstate spokesman, told Bloomberg News. “Any time we can reduce expenses enables us to be more competitive in the marketplace.” The agreement allows Allstate insurance adjusters to work with Home Depot’s 977 U.S. stores to provide repair materials and installation at “reasonable prices,” Allstate said. Use of Home Depot, the largest U.S. home improvement retailer, is at the customer’s option. Initially the agreement will apply to flooring replacement, with Home Depot providing the materials and installation.