Home improvement and DIY retail giant Lowe’s shrugged off a challenging macroeconomic environment in Q1 to deliver growth for its overall and online sales totals.
“Strong spring execution and continued momentum in Pro, Appliances, Online, and Home Services supported a solid start to the year as we delivered our fourth consecutive quarter of positive comp sales,” said Marvin Ellison, Lowe’s chairman, president and CEO. “In spite of a challenging housing macro, we remain focused on advancing our Total Home strategy to provide the best experience for our customer.”
During the quarter, Lowe’s total sales increased by 10.3% year over year to $23.08 billion. Over the same period of time, the company noted that online sales were up by 15.5% as it found new ways to deploy artificial intelligence. (AI).
Lowe’s is No. 9 in Digital Commerce 360’s Top 2000 Database. The database ranks North America’s largest online retailers by annual ecommerce sales.
Lowe’s Q1 sales and online growth
“We delivered sales growth of 15.5% this quarter, driven by continued enhancements to our user experience, standout online deals and improved fulfillment capabilities, including same-day delivery,” Ellison said during Lowe’s Q1 earnings call on May 20. “And to enhance the value of our loyalty programs, we began offering free same-day delivery for purchases over $25 for MyLowe’s Rewards and MyLowe’s Pro Rewards members.”
Other highlights from Lowe’s Q1 earnings results include:
- 0.6% comparable sales increase.
- Previous full-year 2026 sales guidance was affirmed at $92–94 billion. That’s unchanged despite tariff and macro uncertainty, signaling management confidence.
Ellison credited its rewards program benefits for helping the retailer to distinguish itself.
“This offering further differentiates our loyalty experience, helping to drive increased member engagement for both DIY and Pro customers,” Ellison said.
How Lowe’s is benefiting from AI
In addition, Lowe’s touted AI’s role in driving sales.
“We’re also pleased by the impact Mylow, our AI-powered shopping assistant, is having on the online shopping experience, giving our customers the ability to ask questions on recommendations, budget guidance, and other home improvement needs,” Ellison said.
He added that since launching one year ago, Mylow adoption has grown to support over 1 million customer inquiries each month. Importantly, the conversion rate for online customers who use Mylow is triple that of those who do not. Ellison said this statistic suggests a well-designed agentic AI experience can be a clear driver for purchasing decisions.
The company is also using AI in ways that improve the experience not just for the hammer-wielding weekend warrior, but for the lucrative Pro customer market.
“We continue to build on our momentum with our core small- to medium-sized Pro customer, who has remained resilient in this macro environment,” said William Boltz, executive vice president of merchandising at Lowe’s.
He added that Pro customers are responding positively to the enhanced tools Lowe’s has deployed digitally and at the Pro desk, which are designed to save time and simplify the shopping experience. Boltz cited the recent launch of an AI-assisted tool to help Pros create a materials list.
“Pros can bring in the list in just about any format, whether a photo, handwritten note, PDF, or spreadsheet, and our associates can use this tool to convert it into an actionable quote,” Boltz said.
He noted that in the past, this was a manual task that could take days to complete.
“Now, with this AI-enabled tool, we’ve reduced that time from days to minutes,” Boltz said.
AI’s impact on insights and personalization
Analysts are cheering Lowe’s AI-powered moves.
Keith Zubchevich, CEO of the agentic AI retail technology firm Conviva, said Lowe’s has impressively deployed the technology but still has more runway ahead.
Zubchevich said Lowe’s growth is proof that consumers continue to buy online, and that digital businesses need to understand not just what their customers are buying, but how and why.
“Personalization is the future of ecommerce, and agentic AI is what makes it possible at scale,” Zubchevich said.
He added that if Lowe’s can continue to optimize its Mylow AI shopping assistant, it will be well positioned to unlock even higher conversion rates.
Meanwhile, R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at Placer.ai, said Lowe’s Total Home strategy, designed to make the retailer a one-stop shop for all customers, has been successful.
“The company’s SpringFest event was well received by consumers, and the company is seeing growth among its Pro customers,” Hottovy said, adding that growth is expected to continue among the Pro segment.
Percentage changes may not align exactly with dollar figures due to rounding. Check back for more earnings reports. Click here to read last quarter’s article on Lowe’s earnings and online sales.
Do you rank in our databases?
Submit your data and we’ll see where you fit in our next ranking update.
Sign up
Stay on top of the latest developments in the online retail industry. Sign up for a complimentary subscription to Digital Commerce 360 Retail News. Follow us on LinkedIn, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and YouTube. Be the first to know when Digital Commerce 360 publishes news content.