LOW Lowes Companies Inc

Lowe's Canada celebrates the opening of its 67^th Lowe's store in Canada and first new model Lowe's store in Manitoba

BOUCHERVILLE, QC, Jan. 24, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Lowe's Canada opened today its first store in Manitoba featuring the new model of Lowe's stores, which offers an enhanced shopping experience. The store, located at 775 Panet Road in Winnipeg, was converted from the former RONA Home and Garden. It was designed by taking the best of Lowe's and RONA's offerings to create the new model of Lowe's stores.

"We are thrilled to kick off the New Year with the opening of our 67^th Lowe's store in Canada. Now more than ever, we are committed to the Lowe's banner, and we are excited to bring Lowe's unique customer experience and product selection to even more DIYers and home improvement enthusiasts in the Winnipeg area," said Guy Beaumier, Executive Vice-President, Stores at Lowe's Canada. "Each day, we strive to deliver the best service and value to our customers across every channel, including our industry-leading eCommerce solutions, making it easier for Canadians to tackle all their renovation projects, big or small."

The store underwent an extensive 16-week physical transformation from the former RONA which involved construction, departmental sequencing of new racking and re-merchandising, branding and IT conversion, as well as significant investment in our people with exhaustive training focused on new product knowledge and customer service.

New Retail Experience

The new Winnipeg East Lowe's offers an enhanced retail experience, including:

• A wider assortment of seasonal products such as CRAFTSMAN® snowblowers and outdoor power equipment, patio furniture, seasonal decorations, etc.
• A complete selection of appliances and the introduction of entirely new product categories including Lowe's private labels, and top brands such as John Deere, Husqvarna, and Cub Cadet.
• A broader selection of fashion plumbing products such as tubs, showers, toilets, vanities, sinks and faucets with the introduction of high-profile brands such as Kohler and Grohe.
• Floor displays featuring the latest fashions in wood flooring and tiles with larger displays at eye level allowing customers to better visualize their projects and better experience the texture of products.
• Access to more than 210,000 products on www.lowes.ca.

Enhanced Contractor Experience

The new Winnipeg East location also offers an enhanced shopping experience for pros and commercial customers, including:

• The introduction of the Contractor Rewards Program (i.e. loyalty and pricing program).
• Access to a drive-through lumber yard where contractors can load their vehicles directly to save time, as well as have access to a broader lumber assortment.
• The Winnipeg East store is the first Lowe's store in Manitoba to introduce charge accounts that allow commercial customers to shop at any RONA corporate store and new model Lowe's store throughout Canada and receive a single monthly invoice.
• Introduction of corporately owned and operated delivery trucks to provide a more personalized level of service for deliveries to contractors.
• Enhanced assortment in key contractor categories including lumber, building materials, millwork, tools, hardware, etc.

The new Winnipeg East Lowe's marks the company's 67^th store in Canada under the Lowe's banner and the second Lowe's location in Winnipeg. The store represents a local investment in excess of $4 million and created 30 new jobs – in total, the store has over 90 permanent positions with an additional 70 seasonal roles.

The store offers about 40,000 products in-stock to meet customers' home improvement needs and features a retail offering space totaling more than 175,000 square feet, including approximately 103,000 square feet of retail sales space, an adjacent garden centre of 18,300 square feet, a greenhouse with 6,300 square feet and an outdoor drive-through lumber yard of 50,300 square feet.

Today, local dignitaries and Lowe's executives joined employees from the store to celebrate the grand opening through an official board cutting ceremony and community grant presentation. Lowe's donated $5,000 to Winnipeg Harvest to support their Breakfast2Go program that provides nutritious food to underprivileged school-aged children during the weekend.

Grand Opening Events

Grand opening activities for the new store, where customers can enjoy free sessions, giveaways and contests, will continue until Monday. These include:

• Thursday, January 24 to Sunday, January 27
• • Enter to win 1 of 5 grand prizes.
• Thursday, January 24
• • Giveaway:  5K natural ice melter jug (first 175 customers)
• Friday, January 25
• • Giveaway: Bosch 32-piece screwdriver bit set (first 200 customers)
• Saturday, January 26
• • Children's Workshop for families at 10 a.m.
  • Live in-store radio remote with QX 104 Today's Country and a draw for a $250 Lowe's gift card and a small appliance
  • Giveaway: $25 Lowe's gift card (first 150 customers)
• Sunday, January 27
• • Giveaway: Lowe's white water bottle (first 100 customers)
• Monday, January 28
  Exclusive VIP event for contractors from 12 to 2 p.m. To register, contractors can call the store at 204.663.7389 and ask to speak with the Contractor Specialist to request an invite.
• • Draw to win 1 of 3 $250 Lowe's gift cards
  • Contractors can fill out a ballot to win 1 of 4 tool prizes

Lowe's stores in Canada

About Lowe's Canada

Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE^® 50 home improvement company serving more than 18 million customers a week in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With fiscal year 2017 sales of $68.6 billion, Lowe's and its related businesses operate or service more than 2,240 home improvement and hardware stores and employ over 310,000 people. Based in Boucherville, Quebec, Lowe's Canadian business, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, RONA inc., operates or services more than 600 corporate and independent affiliate dealer stores in a number of complementary formats under different banners. These include Lowe's, RONA, Réno-Dépôt, Ace and Dick's Lumber. In Canada, the companies have more than 28,000 employees, in addition to approximately 5,000 employees in the stores of independent affiliate dealers operating under the RONA and Ace banners. For more information, visit lowescanada.ca.  

SOURCE Lowe's Canada