Home furnishing, maintenance and improvement services are offered by a vast majority of retail store-based franchises. Among the industry leaders, Lowe’s is a major league player. See Is Lowe’s a Franchise?
Lowe’s Companies Inc., popularly known as Lowe’s is an extremely popular chain of retail hardware and home furnishing stores catering to customers in the United States and Canada. It is the top franchise in its industry in the United States, only surpassed by Home Depot and second largest brand in the entire world, surpassing its European counterparts some of which are Leroy Merlin, B&Q and OBI. Read ahead to get an idea of the kind of products and services they offer as well as their impact on our environment and society.
Products and Services Offered
Lowe’s offers an extremely wide and diverse range of products whose categories include but are not limited to:
- Tools: Power tools and accessories, hand tools, measuring instruments, work benches and storages, welding and soldering, safety gear, etc.
- Ceiling and Lighting Accessories: Ceiling fans, vanity lights, chandeliers, flush mounts, lamps and lamp shades, outdoor lighting, commercial lighting and bulbs.
- Building Supplies: Lumber, decking, fencing and gates, concrete & cement, roofing, plywood, columns, ceilings, ventilation, etc.
- Appliances: Refrigerators, washers and dryers, microwaves, cooktops, water filters, appliance parts and accessories, garbage disposals and range hoods.
- Heating and Cooling Devices: Air conditioners, portable fans, thermostats, fireplaces, outdoor heating, air filters, purifiers and humidifiers and dehumidifiers.
- Electricals: Wires, cables, wall jacks and plates, electrical outlets and adapters, extension cords, circuit breakers and breaker boxes, etc.
- Home Décor: Rugs and mats, furniture and mattresses, bedding and bath, wall décor, pillows, curtains and drapes and mirrors.
- Bathroom Utilities: Bathroom vanities and vanity tops, toilets, faucets and shower heads, bathtubs and sinks.
Lowe’s physical stores number in the thousands. It has more than 2200 stores across the United States and Canada serving more than 20 million customers at a daily basis.
Lowe’s also provides delivery and installation of its products in the customers’ homes. The installation personnel comprise of independent professional installers and service providers have been thoroughly checked for skill and experience, licensed, insured and vetted to confirm they have agreeable backgrounds. Installation fees can vary depending on the scale of the product to be installed and the labor necessary. Measuring fees can vary between $30-$50 and labor cost varying between $100-$300. Transportation cost will depend on the distance traversed during transport.
As with any major business in today’s world, Lowe’s also offers online shopping through its online websites (Lowes.com and LowesForPros.com) and mobile application along with customer complaints regarding product quality, work or behavior of installer or any issues with the functioning of the product and citations of prices for different units and installation costs which are open 24/7 throughout the year.
Environmental Impact
Lowe’s is constantly trying to reduce the adverse impacts of its brand on the environment and finding cleaner ways to source the energy needed for their operations as well as using more energy efficient machinery and educate and promote energy efficient products among its customer base. Lowe’s has plans to lower their carbon emissions by 40% by the year 2025 starting from 2016. It is also an eight-time winner of the Energy Star award and ha also won the Energy Star Partner of the Year awards for its actions towards improving their carbon footprint.
It does have however its own small share of controversy, The Environmental Investigation Agency in 2006 made a report claiming that it had sourced some of its wood used for flooring purposes from the remote Papua Province of Indonesia where it was illegal to procure the wood logs. Lowe’s has denied the claims and has maintained that its products are always legally sourced, processed, sold and used.
History and Branding
Lowe’s was founded by Lucius Smith Lowe who set up the first store under his name “Lowe’s” in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina in the year 1921. With World War 2, it saw a dramatic rise in sales due to a rapidly increasing construction rate in the United States. It had seen changes in leadership between the original founder to his daughter to his son and finally to Carl Buchan the son-in law of Lucius Lowe.
By 1962, Lowe’s ran 21 stores and had an annual revenue of $32 million. Since its adoption of the standard supermarket format of store structure in the 1980s, Lowe’s has grown massively and spread its outlets into different countries like Canada, Australia and India.
It has also sponsored multiple racing teams like and sponsored teams like Fernandez Racing, Jimmie Johnson and Richard Childress racing among others.
Conclusion
The Lowe’s is a franchise that is firmly rooted in American history and is very much alive and thriving in the present day. With a massive reliant customer base, professional and supportive workforce and a strong work ethic, Lowe’s is as reliable as a brand can get.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How do I place an order with a tax-exempt account?
A1. Visit the customer service desk in store to apply for a tax-exempt account.
Q2. Do I need to register my Lowe’s protection plan?
A2. Registration is unneeded. Proof of purchase is the only necessity for availing service on product
