Lowe's
Lowe’s is launching a tailored store shopping experience created specifically for pros. To save pro customers time and money, the retailer’s revamped pro shopping experience will include a Pro Zone, a dedicated area near the pro entrance with products for grab-and-go convenience, featuring popular pro items, specially selected and newly-released products, and value packs.
“We want to make sure any time spent away from the jobsite is efficient and productive for the Pro customer, especially small- to mid-size companies. We’ve enhanced our shopping experience, bringing in new products and services that help add value to each trip Pros take and cut down on the number of stops they make throughout the day,” Fred Stokes, senior vice president of pro sales and services for Lowe’s, said in a news release. “The new offerings are the latest way we are showing our commitment to better serving Pro customers and making their stops at Lowe’s even easier.”
The new pro shopping experience also includes pro trailer parking, which features extended trailer parking spots, free phone charging stations for pros, a convenience rack with items such as pain relievers and personal care items for sun protection and hand care, and a dedicated pro checkout area with a team of sales, cashier, and loading associates to get pros in and out of stores quicker. Additionally, Lowe’s is offering flexible credit options that can save pros 5% on eligible purchases. Lowe’s For Pro Loyalty members can get zero percent interest for 60 days when using their Lowe’s Business Advantage or extended terms using their Lowe’s Commercial Account, according to the retailer.
Lowe’s launched pro-focused initiatives beginning in 2019, including improving inventory and job lot quantities. In 2020, the retailer launched its Lowe’s For Pros Loyalty program, continued associate training to help with specific pro needs, introduced a Lowe’s Tool Rental program, and redesigned the layout of stores to better serve pro customers.
“We were going to get really good at the fundamentals [in 2019] so in 2020 we could start taking market share,” Stokes told ProSales. “Now that we’re in 2021, we’re just really refining ourselves and listening to the customer to establish what things can not only get pros in and out quickly, but what things will provide them value when they shop at our stores.”
The Pro Zone, according to Stokes, is designed to allow pros to use fewer footprints in the store to get products they need and use most frequently, allowing for less time in the store and more time on the job site. In addition to improved parking options and charging stations, the new pro experience at Lowe’s also includes drinks and snacks for pro customers, air stations to fill up tires and pneumatic tools, and washing stations to clean windows on vehicles.
According to Lowe’s, pros stop an average of 80 times annually at Lowe’s stores, compared to four to five times annually for DIY customers. The shopping experience for pros is designed to enhance and accelerate shopping trips for pros, especially as they enter the busy spring season. As part of the pro shopping experience rollout, Lowe’s also introduced new technology to help associates improve their relationship with pro customers. According to the company, the new tool provides insights to help associates engage with pros and help them grow their business.
“We have really enhanced our training and our ability to check out quickly within the stores, which also helps us with the pro experience,” Stokes said.
Stokes said the entire Lowe’s journey with the pro customer has evolved around several principle things necessary for pro customers, namely convenience. After building the fundamentals for pro customers, Lowe’s is ready for its “next evolution,” according to Stokes.
“You can’t provide an experience [where] we’re going to give you air pumps or [where] we’re going to have window washing stations when you don’t have job lot quantities in your store,” Stokes said. “We had to get our inventory right and we had to do a lot of other things before we could add icing to the cake. This [pro shopping experience] is an evolution, it’s been part of the strategy.”
