Never seen any bagged product that just calls itself "Compost". You will find bags labeled composted manure and I know Lowe's has bags labeled Mushroom Compost as I saw them yesterday there at our Lowe's. Can't say what HD has, likely similar stuff.

Your best source for plain compost will be a local nursery.

If this is for containers tho, as you indicate, why not just buy bags of a good quality soil-less potting mix? It's the best growing mix for containers. Using straight compost in containers isn't the ideal approach.

Good quality, finished compost only smells like good garden soil/dirt. But bad quality or improperly stored, or unfinished compost can most definitely have a bad odor.

Dave

I buy compost from the city. They've got quite an operation and the material is the best I've ever seen.

Our garden center sells bagged compost. Its called Better Earth Compost, its a locally made product.

ms mouse, I'm sure you've learned from your visit to Lowes that the bags are labeled 'Compost'.

Compost, as Dave mentioned, isn't the best product to use for containerized plants. It can become much too fine textured (as in particle size), creating an insufficiency in large pore spaces required for healthy containerized plants. And compost will continue decomposing becoming less and less desirable (in containers).

Use the compost on your outdoor gardens, instead.