Three teams of private equity firms have formed to consider bids for Home Depot’s wholesale supply business, which could fetch about $11bn in a sale seen as crucial to the company’s refocusing on its core retail business.

According to people familiar with the matter, Bain Capital has joined forces with Carlyle and Clayton Dubilier & Rice, while Thomas H Lee Partners is partnering with Goldman Sachs buy-out unit and CCMP, the former private equity arm of JPMorgan Chase. A third team of investors includes Blackstone, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, Leonard Green Partners and Texas Pacific Group.