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Lowe’s Sales Drop Again as Homeowners Pull Back on Discretionary Purchases
The home-improvement retailer reported declining sales and said it has plans to dole out $55 million in bonuses to front-line workers to help mitigate the pinch they are feeling from rising prices.
Lowe’s said its results lagged due to its higher share from the do-it-yourself cohort, which makes up 75% of its customer base. Professionals, such as contractors and electricians, tend to spend more per trip. Lowe’s said sales rose 13% to its professional customers.
Home Depot has a more even split between the two subsets, and professionals are driving sharp increases in large purchases. Home Depot said it logged a 11.6% increase in transactions that were over $1,000.
Like Home Depot, Lowe’s said sales to professional customers shot up during the quarter, rising 13%, suggesting that consumers’ appetite for major home-improvement projects remains elevated even as the pandemic retreats and high inflation dampens consumer spending. Home Depot executives said elevated home values are still prompting homeowners to shell out for renovations.