[4] Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, the company operates a chain of retail stores in the United States.

[6] It is also the second-largest hardware chain in the world, also behind the Home Depot, but ahead of European retailers Leroy Merlin, B&Q, and OBI.

[10] Buchan anticipated the dramatic increase in construction after World War II, and under his management, the store focused on hardware and building materials.

[11] Before then, the product mix had also included notions, dry goods, horse tack, snuff, produce, and groceries.

Buchan and Lowe started the concept of procuring large quantities of products directly from manufacturers, which eliminated the wholesaler and allowed them to offer customers lower prices.

[20] According to its website, Lowe's has operated/serviced more than 2,355 locations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico alone,[21] although the Mexican stores were closed in the late 2010s.

[23] In 2023, Lowe's sold its Canadian retail business, based in Boucherville, Quebec, to Sycamore Partners for $400 million in cash.

In 2002, Lowe's acquired full control over the 440,000 square feet (41,000 m2) building after the 10 remaining mall tenants vacated the property.

In addition to Wilkesboro, Lowe's formerly operated a customer contact center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, both of which quietly closed in 2023.

On June 27, 2019, Lowe's announced the construction of a $153 million, 23-story tower in Charlotte's fast-growing South End neighborhood, which will be completed by 2020 and eventually house 2000 employees, 400 of whom will move from the headquarters.

The cited report dates to 2006 and Lowe's continues to claim its wood products come from known sources; is legally harvested and traded, and more.

[44] Lowe's reported Total CO2e emissions (Direct + Indirect) for the 12 months ending 31 December 2020 at 1,971 Kt (-138 /-6.5% y-o-y).

[52] In August 2022, Lowe's announced that it was awarding $55 million in bonus income to front-line workers, and that it was offering staff discounts on common household and cleaning items in light of recent inflationary pressures.

[54] In June 2023, Felix Allen was fired,[55] leading to multiple unfair labor practice charges being filed with the NLRB against Lowe's, accusing the company of multiple violations of labor law in response to the unionization drive at the New Orleans store, including surveillance, interrogation of employees, and retaliating against union organizers.

[57] In April 2024, Lowes launched a partnership with Major League Soccer's Inter Miami CF, Lionel Messi, and the 2024 Copa América.

The corporation was the primary sponsor for seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson in the No.

In 2006, Lowe's contracted designer Marianne Cusato to develop and offer affordable house plans for the hurricane-affected Gulf region.

[61] A spokesperson for Lowe's said, "we understand the program raised concerns, complaints, or issues from multiple sides of the viewer spectrum, which we found after doing research of news articles and blogs covering the show".

[62] The Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations met to consider possible actions, including boycotts and protests.

[65] Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, criticized Lowe's decision to "uphold the beliefs of a fringe hate group and not the creed of the First Amendment".

Michigan state representative Rashida Tlaib contacted the company's corporate headquarters, reporting that Lowe's declined to change its decision.

[68] On February 3, 2016, Rona announced that it had accepted an offer to be acquired by Lowe's for CDN$3.2 billion, pending regulatory and shareholder approval.

Lowe's maintained Rona's retail banners, "key" executives, and the "vast majority of its current employees" after the acquisition.

[71] In November 2022, Lowe's agreed to sell its Canadian operations to the private equity firm Sycamore Partners for $400 million.

[76] Trading as Masters Home Improvement, the first store opened in Braybrook, Victoria, to tradesmen on August 31, 2011, and later to the general public.

In January 2016, Woolworths announced that it intended to either sell or wind up all its home improvement areas, including the Masters hardware chain.

The windup involved Woolworths buying back a 33.3 per cent interest in the venture, held by the Lowe's subsidiary WDR Delaware Corporation.

[77] Lowe's was involved in a small cluster of class action lawsuits that revolved around the employee payment system.

[80] Lowe's faced multiple lawsuits from its Loss Prevention Managers citing that they were classified as exempt employees and therefore denied overtime pay.

The managers asserted that they were forced to work a minimum of 48 hours per week which saved Lowe's and its investors millions of dollars every year.