While home improvement projects can be time-consuming and expensive, DIY-centric businesses like Lowes and Home Depots have made the task much easier. Home improvement projects can be a passion for some but are a necessity for most.
At some point, everyone needs their floor tiles grouted, pipes fixed, kitchen remodeled, or furniture repaired. So if you’re planning a trip to purchase some home improvement gear, here’s a detailed comparison of Lowe’s vs Home Depot so you can pick what’s best for you.
Lowe’s
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Lowe’s is an American retail store chain that specializes in home improvement hardware and supplies. It’s the second-largest retail chain in the world, right behind Home Depot.
The first Lowe’s store was founded in 1921 by Smith Lowe in North Carolina. They started off selling notions, horse tack, dry goods, snuff, produce, and groceries but eventually moved on to hardware and building materials.
Today, Lowe’s has around 2,150 stores all over the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The company has won 8 consecutive Energy Star awards from 2003 to 2010, including a Partner of the Year award for extolling the virtues of energy efficiency.
Home Depot
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Home Depot is the largest home improvement retailer in the United States. It’s headquartered in Cobb County, Georgia, and has 2,312 locations across North America as of today. Home Depot was founded in 1978 by 4 co-founders — Arthur Blank, Bernard Marcus, Pat Farrah, and Ron Brill.
They specialize in servicing all home improvement needs. That includes appliances, bathroom ideas, kitchen remodeling, patio furniture, bbq grills, power tools, and much more. It’s hard to think of things you can’t get at Home Depot.
Lowe’s Vs Home Depot
#1. Customer Service
In terms of customer service, both Lowe’s and Home Depot have received their fair share of complaints about rudeness, unfriendliness, or unpleasantness. However, by the same token, they’ve both also received good scores from rating services like Yelp for customer rapport and approachability.
According to reviews, both Lowe’s and Home Depot have the same level of expertise and are adept when it comes to all the basics like guiding customers to the right aisles and assisting them with their purchases. If you need advice about niche projects like plumbing, it would be better to visit a specialty plumbing store.
#2. Store Atmosphere
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The store atmosphere refers to the way the shelves are arranged, the width of the passages, lighting, cleanliness, space, parking, etc. It’s a subjective criterion, but according to the reviews, they’re pretty close to even.
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Some people prefer the vibrant orange atmosphere of Home Depot whereas some prefer Lowe’s professional blue. Every individual store will have its good days and off days when it comes to cleanliness and organization. Lowe’s is typically clean but it’s not as organized as Home Depot.
#3. Accepting Returns
A “Returns” desk is the first thing you can expect to see when you enter both Home Depot and Lowe’s. Returns are an everyday affair in this trade, so both Lowe and Home Depot have staff assigned specifically for returns at every store.
Their return policies are pretty lenient and similar when you compare them. As long as you return something within a reasonable period, you can get a cashback. And if you’ve lost the receipt, you won’t receive cash back but you will receive store credit.
#4. Lower Prices
Lowe’s and Home Depot engage in what is known as competitive pricing, which is common among large corporations vying for market share.
When you compare the prices and consider the average, Home Depot and Lowe’s essentially have the same prices.
#5. Wider Brand Opportunities
Lowe’s has the edge over Home Depot when it comes to brand opportunities. They both carry store brands and exclusive brands but Lowe’s offers more variety. Being a much older brand, Lowe’s has more suppliers than Home Depot.
If you’re ever looking for a specific brand like Kobalt or Task Force, you’ll have a better chance of finding it at Lowe’s.
#6. In-stock Appliances and Items Range
When it comes to the range of in-stock appliances, Lowe’s has Home Depot beat again. Lowe’s has been in the business 38 years longer than Home Depot, so they’re in contact with a larger number of suppliers.
Lowe’s targets professionals whereas Home Depot tends to target the average consumer and DIY hobbyists. However, Home Depot has a much larger selection of flooring and wall tiles.
#7. Kids Workshops
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Lowe’s has a “Build and Grow” workshop for kids twice a month where they give away free items like aprons, safety goggles, and the project that they completed.
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Home Depot caters more to adults than kids but they do have monthly workshops for kids. It’s a parent-kid workshop where children make things like birdhouses, memory boxes, or ships.
#8. Special Services
Unlike Lowe’s, Home Depot offers rental services for tools like a drill or an auger for hobbyists that just need to use it for one project. Lowe’s caters more to professionals than DIY-hobbyists, so it’s assumed you’re purchasing a tool to own and use at work.
However, Lowe’s does let you rent larger items like wood chippers and pick-up trucks since these are expensive and difficult to store.
#9. Online Shopping and In-store Pickup
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The Home Depot mobile app is very user-friendly and helpful to use whether you’re shopping from home or at the store. You can filter your search based on categories like room, department, and price range.
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Lowe’s also has a nifty mobile app to let you shop from home but they focus their online shopping experience on social media rather than their app. It’s probably to attract a younger generation of home improvement professionals. They also share DIY videos on Snapchat.
#10. Aisle Shut-down Procedures
Home Depot restocks shelves as soon as they get empty so you never see any item missing. However, to do this, they have to shut down their aisles more frequently than Lowe’s.
