Credit: Design FITCH, Role: Design Director
Lowe’s made its Manhattan debut with two high-tech locations more influenced by Apple than by Ace.
The 30,000 sq.ft. Upper West Side and the 2-story 38,000-sq.ft Chelsea location opened in Fall of 2015.
Lowe’s City Center is home –to both the right brain and the left brain – from those who desire inspiration to create beautiful living spaces to those who have to make it happen. Regardless of each customer’s mindset and needs, the new Lowes is the smartest solution and the simplest experience. The design is driven by the duality of how New Yorkers live and shop for their home improvement needs and how they transport it home, but also the building pro and the challenges they face to make projects happen.
The city stores are about a quarter of the size of a typical 100,000 -square-foot Lowe’s and offer different products and services aimed at urban dwellers.
The state-of-the-art technology transcends the store’s limited stock particularly in larger appliances. Seven-foot-high “Next Aisle Over” touchscreens allow customers to virtually inspect dozens of models not located in store. Numerous other touchscreens are used including a table-top “Endless Aisle” allowing customers to consult with interior designers and browse hundreds of products beyond what is physically on display. Customers can order items for same-day or next-day delivery from over a million sq. ft. of inventory from surrounding locations.
To avoid mansion envy, the new Lowe’s offers fixtures and appliances tailored to microscopic studio apartments and plenty of storage and organization solutions for space-strapped customers.
Considering the difficulty of transporting products home, the design includes city-friendly services such as a free potting station for indoor plants and free blinds-cutting service that allows the curtains to remain in the box as they’re trimmed. A self-service key-cutting machine is a must in a land of apartments and walk-ups.
The stores also caters to Lowe's professional customer, including a separate entrance, checkout and service desk so they can get in and out quickly. These customers can also call ahead to get curbside delivery.