Can tech transformation provide an e-commerce miracle for Lowe’s? Why CEO Marvin Ellison reckons so

There are some days in the throes of this AI revolution that I struggle to keep an entirely straight face. It’s difficult when confronted the po-faced declaration of “the next step in all-in-one laundry” as a result of a new AI-vented all-in-one washer and dryer. Then I remember that it’s only a few years ago that we thought intelligent toothbrushes and self-replenishing refrigerators were a big deal and then realise it’s yet more plus ça change.

But that AI washer/dryer was a proud boast recently made by home improvement retailer Lowe’s, although to be fair the firm has many more interesting technology-centric stories to tell, not least it’s new tie-up with online marketplace specialist, Mirakl.

Lowe’s is looking to scale its e-commerce offering quicker in association with Mirakl, a France-based software company that provides marketplace infrastructure to leading global retailers. The platform allows third-party sellers to manage listings, pricing, and logistics with greater ease, accelerating onboarding and integration. Since launching its own marketplace last December, Lowe’s has been growing it at a decent pace, but expects to be able to accelerate this by integrating Mirakl’s tech into its own offering.

E-commerce matters

Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison, who has been the retailer’s foremost champion for digital transformation since he assumed the top slot in 2018, but has previously been critical of the firm’s e-commerce prowess. He explains:

Retail has always been competitive, and with the ease of e-commerce coming into any type of space with easily parcel-shipped product, it’s going to just continue to get more and more competitive. Having said that, we do believe there’s a lot to be said about product knowledge, about store environment, about ease of shoppability both in-stores and online. And that’s one of the reasons why we’ve invested so much in technology. 

That’s where Mirakl comes in:

Through Mirakl, trusted marketplace sellers will be able to easily manage their catalogs on lowes.com. This will add new product categories across the home and offer DIY and Pro customers a full spectrum of value and premium products. We can accomplish all of this without having to carry the inventory or invest in new fulfillment centers.

The partnership with Mirakl is important because it’s the number one technology platform for large marketplace sellers, and so it’s an easier pivot for them to transition to Lowes.com and an easier pivot for our digital team to load their catalogs in a very, very efficient way in a very time-sensitive way. We have high expectations.

Getting this right is going to be competitively very important, he argues:

As we’ve looked at the entire retail landscape across the globe, and we look at brick-and-mortar retailers that have demonstrated the most effective omni-channel strategies and sustainable growth, one correlating factor is of marketplace existence. We’re pleased to be the first product marketplace in home improvement. We have, again, high expectations that not only can we manage core home improvement, which our team does really well now, but we also now with a marketplace environment, can manage premium and value products and we can do it without adding capital-intensive fulfillment centers and without adding additional inventory to our balance sheet.

Tech advocacy

Ellison is an unashamed tech-advocate, that much is clear. And it’s starting to pay dividends at Lowe’s, more so perhaps than at his previous gig as CEO of JC Penney. For its most recent quarter, Lowe’s saw online sales rise six percent year-on-year, he notes, crediting “technology transformation” for making this possible.

Productivity gains are also happening in stores as well as online, says Joe McFarland, the firm’s EVP for Stores, who cites the company’s Workbench tool being used by sales associates:

They can use this digital tracking tool to quickly identify their leads and prioritize the quotes to close. This drives both the better customer experience and greater associate productivity…In conjunction with the rollout of MyLowe’s on Lowes.com for customers, we’ve also released MyLowe’s Companion for our store associates built on the same technology. With immediate access to product details and project advice, and inventory information, this AI-powered app gives associates the product and project knowledge to sell with confidence regardless of tenure or experience. Associates across all 1,700-plus stores can access MyLowe’s Companion on their mobile devices, marking the first time a retailer has successfully implemented this kind of technology at scale. 

With this knowledge at their fingertips, our associates can quickly feel confident in answering customers’ questions. even if they’ve just started in the store or been asked to cover a new department. Also driving productivity with our gig delivery network, which has been an important component of our enhanced omnichannel customer experience.

Yes, of course there’s a big AI push – it’s 2025, what else would there be? In the case of Lowe’s this involves another tech tie-up, this time with OpenAI to launch MyLowe’s, pitched as the first AI-powered Home Improvement Virtual Adviser. Ellison picks up the story:

Since home improvement is inherently complex, MyLowe provides step-by-step instructions for any project with any level of complexity from how to fix a leaky faucet to how to build a deck and everything in between, and it helps customers find and purchase the right tools and materials for their projects directly on lowes.com or the Lowe’s App.

He concludes:

We’re encouraged by our progress in leveraging AI to streamline the customer experience, and I commend our technology and digital team for their outstanding contributions. Notably, in Q1, Lowe’s mobile app earned a prestigious Webby Award and was recognized as the best mobile app for 2025. This is another reflection that our investments in technology and innovation are paying off.

My take

Some good examples of tech transformation in a retail sector that enjoyed a boom time during the COVID crisis, but has struggled to find its omni-channel level in the Vaccine Economy. The tie-up with Mirakl is a particularly interesting development and one that will bear close attention in the months ahead as the two firms begin to work more closely together.