From ladders to lumber to light bulbs, Lowe’s sells just about everything a consumer or contractor would need to build, repair, and maintain a home. The North Carolina–based homeimprovement retailer operates more than 1,800 cavernous stores across North America. With hundreds of thousands of products in inventory and acres of free parking for its stores, Lowe’s serves 17 million customers weekly and rings up $65 billion in yearly revenue.

Consumers can walk into any Lowe’s location and receive expert help buying tools, materials, and accessories for do-it-yourself projects like installing a floor and replacing a kitchen sink. For those who don’t want to tackle projects on their own, Lowe’s offers the option of hiring a local professional through the store. The retailer also caters to contractors and others in the building trade, with a separate store checkout area and an information desk for business orders, credit accounts, pickup, and delivery.

Questions for Discussion

1. As a major retailer specializing in home-improvement products, Lowe’s is considered a category killer. Does that label apply to Lowe’s websites? Explain your answer

2. How important are exterior and interior atmospherics to the image of a home-improvement store like Lowe’s

3. Lowe’s partnered with a software retailer to set up smart-home departments inside some of its stores. What are the implications for Lowe’s retail positioning