Lowe’s has been the primary source of supplies for home improvement projects because of its extensive product selection, competitive pricing, and an easy-to-navigate store layout, which is especially helpful for new customers. Unfortunately, with competitors popping up in close proximity that offer better deals and a wider variety, this retailer has been underperforming in recent years, leading to several branch shutdowns across America. Here’s a rundown of the places that have lost their local Lowe’s.
1. Graysville, Alabama
This store opened in the early 2000s and was, for the most part, a staple construction supply retailer in the city. Its proximity, however, to other Lowe’s stores may have caused internal competition. Because of declining foot traffic and the rise of larger stores in the surrounding area, it eventually shut down in February 2019.
2. Irvine, California
This branch’s location near various competing Home Depot stores has led to a decrease in performance in recent years. Home Depot offers a wider variety of brands and products at lower prices, which has caused customer loyalty to shift away from Lowe’s, leading to closure in 2019.
3. Aliso Viejo, California
Despite its prime location, the Aliso Viejo branch has been victim to Lowe’s nationwide pullback in an attempt to prioritize higher-income potential branches. This store was one of the few big-box stores in the area, so its shutdown led to a significant loss for local contractors and home DIY-ers throughout the city.
4. San Francisco, California
One of the major reasons for the closure was San Francisco’s high operating costs and logistical challenges, which were not offset by the store’s underwhelming sales. After several years of service, the San Francisco Lowe’s shut down in 2019. Locals who appreciated Lowe’s products and services have to now shop at further locations or switch to other retail providers.
5. San Jose, California
Proximity to better-performing stores in the Silicon Valley region has led to Lowe’s departure. Like other branches, it majorly underperformed and had high operational costs. It was ultimately closed because of difficulties maintaining profitability.
6. Orange, Connecticut
The people of Orange have lost their source of big-box-priced home improvement materials to more prominent competitors. Home Depot and other local hardware chains have outperformed Lowe’s, reducing options for the town residents.
7. Granite City, Illinois
Lowe’s has shifted its efforts to improving branches with higher income potential, leading to the closure of the Granite City branch. The regional focus has veered towards the metro St. Louis locations, which means that residents must now travel to the Illinois suburbs to access the services and products sold by Lowe’s.
8. Gurnee, Illinois
With the company decreasing stores nationwide, the overlap with nearby stores in Waukegan and Vernon Hills has led to the shutdown of this branch. Its closure was a strategic consolidation to compensate for other underperforming branches nationwide. Shoppers may choose to purchase their supplies at these other Lowe’s branches, which may be inconvenient for some.
9. Portage, Indiana
Competition with Lowe’s in Merrillville and Michigan City has caused the brand to underperform and not meet performance expectations. With the market being shared among these branches, it seems the store in Portage, Indiana, saw the least customer traffic. This branch was considered a low priority and eventually closed its doors permanently.
10. East New Orleans, Louisiana
The closure of this Lowe’s is due to declining foot traffic and a slow economic recovery. East New Orleans has struggled with limited retail development and economic challenges. This strategic realignment was Lowe’s effort to focus more on profitable markets at other locations.
11. Quincy, Massachusetts
Since opening in 2006, Lowe’s in Quincy, Massachusetts, has never gained significant traction in the high-cost market. With high operational costs and low profit, maintaining this location was not economically beneficial.
12. Burton, Michigan
Due to duplicate services already offered in the Flint location, regional sales declined. Like other stores, the Burton Lowe’s location was closed due to its insignificant profit and market share.
13. Flint, Michigan
The shrinking population in Flint resulted in a decrease in customers. The Flint Water Crisis (2014 to 2016) also contributed to the closure, as it was a crisis that hurt both public health and the local economy. Flint’s economic struggles eventually led to Lowe’s closing in the area.
14. Mankato, Minnesota
The small and limited market in the area could not sustain the large-footprint store. As a result, this branch’s growth potential was stunted, and the presence of other retailers in the region led to its closure.
15. Bridgeton, Missouri
This branch was closed as a result of the strategic cut due to the saturation of the St. Louis metro area. Similar stores were located in close proximity to this one, distributing the foot traffic unevenly.
16. Florissant, Missouri
In such a crowded market, sales at this Lowe’s did not meet the expected benchmarks. Demographic changes, such as the shift in population affected demand, and economic downturns impacted sales, which caused this Lowe’s to close down.
17. Manhattan, New York
High rent costs and low big-ticket sales in an otherwise dense retail area are to blame for Lowe’s departure from the Upper West Side of Manhattan. This was one of the few full-sized home improvement stores that offered such a wide variety of products, so it is a great loss for the residents of this area.
18. Irving, Texas
This location was surrounded by other Lowe’s branches and Home Depot’s in every direction, consequently leading to its redundancy. Local economic conditions in the area at the time of closing influenced sales negatively, ultimately leading to their departure.
19. Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
The Shippensburg area has a relatively low population density and commercial activity, which made it hard to maintain the store’s operations. With low growth potential and such a limited customer base, it was inevitable that this branch would fall victim to Lowe’s broader strategy to optimize the store’s portfolio.
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