Lowes vs Home Depot: What is the Best Place to Shop?

Home improvement is like our personal aesthetic. You cannot ignore the thought of satisfaction that comes with working through renovation your own way. But what boosts such an empowering feeling is the fact that there do exist home improvement shops that can help with our choices. The two most popular options when it comes to home improvement shops are Home Depot and Lowes. Which one is your favorite?

Now there may be disagreement on some of the comparisons we make down below. And that would be rightly so because both of these stores are quite dominant on their own. They have quite the competitive streak against each other because of their quality services to their dedicated customers. But we thought of enticing this battle to see which one stands out from the two. Hence, here is our take on the Lowes vs Home Depot debate to help you figure out which is the best place to shop.

Customer Service

The staff at both the stores have received mixed reviews. With home improvement, there is the definitive problem of getting advice on certain problems. While renovating homes requires freedom of creativity, there are things you need help with. However, with the customer service at both the stores, the customers have received help and have received rude advices as well.

There are some five-star reviews while others are one-star reviews as well. Although the matter varies with each branch, that is not something you look for in a store as there must be consistency in quality. Hence, there is no definitive winner in this matter.

Shopping Experience

With the shopping experiences at both stores, you will be in for a delight. Both the stores have great lighting so you are never in the dark with your problems or decisions. There is a helping staff in both the stores whose number and availability may vary with each branch. But you will find that your shopping experience will not be compromised.

There is a great number of products which you can browse for hours in each aisle at the respective stores. Even the kitchen and bathroom remodels are nicely structured. The pricing is not a concern as the competition requires them to price the products at an affordable rate.

Quality

When it comes to the lowes vs home depot quality debate, you would find that these big corporations have tended to their aisles well. The atmosphere around the store is clean and the shelves are neatly stacked. The tools and appliances section of both the stores have found great equipment that have served to customers’ needs. The stores are always well-lit and floors are almost always clean.

However, there is one slight little problem. The aisles of the categories that are required less by customers have shown neglect. Sections like the mowing equipment and lumbar department have suffered certain form of neglect as the variety and diversity was not something to be praised.

Return Policy

If we talk about their return policies, the debate does not catch any fire. They both have a decent return policy that offers the chance to return the product within 90 days of the official purchase. Even if you do not get a refund, you are bound to get store credit out of your purchase from which you can buy something else from the store. You will need to keep your receipt safe or the shipping details in order to receive a refund. If that is not possible, you might get store credit but you will still need to provide some proof of the purchase you made at the shop.

Sales

The pricing by both of the companies is quite competitive. They both offer a price match guarantee that brings customers to their offers and deals within minutes. You will find that the competitive pricing means that each store is going through a great deal to ensure they offer the lowest prices.

Even during the sale season, you will find that the annual sales at both the stores are quite great. The lowes vs home depot appliances debate serves of no use either as both the store offer a great range at low prices with good quality even during the sale season. Lowes has around 2200 stores while Home Depot has a little over 2300 stores. Hence, you will find great diversity in choosing your option when it comes to shopping. Almost all the stores are never crowded and offer a clean shopping experience.

Online Shopping

Online shopping is always the go-to option when it comes to getting home improvement tools. Mainly because of the fact that the heavy equipment is far better shipped to your address rather than having to pick them up at the store. However, it is suggested to take a good look at what you want before opting for online shopping for home improvement tools.

Both the stores offer the chance to shop online. You can check out their websites to see what you want. You can even get enrolled in the rewards program to gain more benefits in the future. The pick-up services are also available if you want to avoid shipping charges. You can choose any branch of your choice to pick up your order after placing the order online.

Variety in Brands

Both the stores offer great variety in brands. If you are a home improvement shop, it is advisable to keep your shelves stocked at all times and that is what the stores do. They do restock during early hours or the late hours as the shops are opened during the larger time of a day. However, you will not find any compromise in the diversity.

But this is where the one takes the lead on the other due to subjectivity. Some people prefer certain brands while others prefer other brands. this is where the people choose one store over the other because not all brands are present at one store. Lowes offers Pella Windows products and Valspar while the Behr Paints and the Anderson Windows are some of the brands only found at Home Depot. When it comes to tools, Home Depot prefers Husky and Ryobi while Lowes prefers stocking Kobalt and Task Force. Hence, preferences do come into view with branded products and the type of project you wish to embrace for the rennovation.

To Wrap Up

If there were to be a clear winner, we could not pick one. Both the shops offer great variety in brands, have affordable prices when it comes to their products, and in general, offer an amazing shopping experience. While the stores do have certain cons, they are not quite dominant over the other as there are features both the stores lack. However, if you were to pick one, it would be based on your pure judgement. And the only difference would be in your shopping experience at the store.