Lowe's Corporation

Lowe's Corporation

Introduction

Lowe's is a US based home improvement retailer offering products and services under the following categories: maintenance, repair, remodeling, and home decorating. The company's customers include homeowners, renters, and commercial business customers, including those engaged in construction, repair/remodel, commercial and residential property management, and business maintenance professions. Lowe's operates in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

The company operates through a single business division: home improvement retail stores. As of February 3, 2012, Lowe's operated 1,745 stores, of which 1,712 stores were located across 50 US states, 31 stores in Canada and two stores in Mexico. The company's stores average approximately 113,000 square feet of retail selling space, and approximately 32,000 square feet of outdoor garden center selling space (Lowes, 2012).

The company also operates an online store at www.lowes.com, which provides online product information, customer ratings and reviews, online buying guides and how-to videos and information. It also operates www.lowes.com en Espanol, the Spanish version of the company's website, and www.lowescreativeideas.com in Spanish and English versions. LowesCreativeIdeas.com offers inspiration to first-time homeowners and savvy DIYers (do-it-yourself) about home decoration and other related topics.

Lowe's also offers credit financing services for its customers; it offers a proprietary consumer credit card for its retail customers under an agreement with GE Money Bank. The company also offers proprietary credit programs for its commercial business customers. These programs include Lowe's Business Account for small-to medium-size businesses and offers minimum monthly payments, and Lowe's Accounts Receivable for medium- to large-size businesses that pay in full each month. Apart from credit financing services, the company also provides installation services through independent contractors, and extended protection plans and repair services.

The company sources its products from more than 7,000 vendors worldwide. Each Lowe's store stocks approximately 40,000 items and includes a wide selection of branded merchandise such as Whirlpool appliances and water heaters, GE and Samsung appliances, Stainmaster carpets, Valspar paints and stains, Pella windows and doors, Sylvania light bulbs, Dewalt power tools, Owens Corning roofing, Johns Manville insulation, and James Hardie fiber cement siding, among others. Some of Lowe's well known private brands include Kobalt tools, allen+roth home decor products, Portfolio lighting products, Garden Treasures lawn and patio products, Utilitech electrical and utility products, Reliabilt doors and windows, Aquasource faucets and sinks, Harbor Breeze ceiling fans, Top Choice lumber products, and Iris home automation and management products.

As of February 3, 2012, Lowe's owned and operated 14 regional distribution centers in the US. The company also operates 15 flatbed distribution centers to distribute merchandise that requires special handling such as lumber, boards, panel products, irrigation pipe, vinyl siding, ladders and building materials. Additionally, Lowe's also operates four facilities to support its import business and flexible fulfillment capabilities.

Discussion

Company shareholding Patterns

Company when it is made public is owned by many investor. the shares are purchased by many shareholders .Thus more the shareholder buy the stock the more the diversified the holding gets . Lowe Company has a shareholder base of 29,000. It includes both the individual and the institutional ...