Most homeowners have had that moment, standing in a kitchen or bathroom and thinking, what if we finally renovated this space? The idea is exciting, full of possibilities. But the process of bringing that vision to life is often anything but simple. It’s a journey filled with decisions, dependencies, and potential delays.
Lowe’s has spent the last few years focused on one core question: How do we remove friction from that journey? Today’s home improvement customer journey is rarely linear. Customers bounce between digital and physical worlds, browsing online, experimenting in apps, visiting stores, consulting experts, scheduling and arranging professional installation services. It’s not just about selling products; but reimagining what it means to be a true home improvement partner in the digital age. A truly effective omnichannel strategy doesn’t just keep up with this complexity, it brings it all together into a smooth, connected experience.
In this evolving retail landscape, where digital expectations are shaped by social media platforms, customers expect more than just convenience; they expect contextual, personalized, and immersive experiences. And with tools like AI-powered design assistants, augmented reality, visual search, and flexible fulfillment options, we’ve learned that great home improvement isn’t only about what gets installed; it’s about how it gets installed. And that “how” should feel as inspiring and effortless as the first idea itself.
The four stages of designing the journey: How it all comes together
Lowe’s India team is playing an important role in building innovative omnichannel solutions that answer this “how”, ensuring every step of the customer’s shopping and installation journey is connected, intuitive, and truly empowering.
1. Inspiration and discovery
At the heart of omnichannel innovation is the ability to engage customers in meaningful ways that go well beyond traditional shopping experiences. Lowe’s sets a new standard with tools designed for digitally native generations, such as the ‘Style Your Space’ feature on the Lowe’s app. Powered by Generative AI, this design assistant lets customers take a photo of any room and instantly receive personalized redesign options across styles, from rustic to mid-century modern. Customers can shop the entire look seamlessly within the app, adding everything from flooring to lighting directly to their cart.
Taking ‘inspiration’ further, Lowe’s has also introduced the ‘Style Studio for Apple Vision Pro’, an immersive 3D kitchen design tool that enables customers to visualize and customize hundreds of real-world products in a spatial environment. This experience exemplifies omnichannel beyond the basics, wowing customers with the freedom to design and explore possibilities that once required professional consultation.
Additionally, leveraging technologies like visual search allows customers to upload images from the internet to discover and shop matching or complementary products, delivering frictionless discovery fueled by AI and data-driven personalization.
2. Planning and design
As customers move from getting inspired to planning their projects, AI-powered personalization tools are changing the game. These tools create personalized plans that match each person’s style, budget, and needs, making it easier to find all the right products without extra searching. This helps especially tech-savvy millennial and Gen Z shoppers to confidently plan home improvements without stress or fear of missing out.
Once products are added to the cart, a store-generated estimate allows customers to compare and negotiate pricing. This kicks off a transparent quote-matching process, empowering customers with more choice and control. Finalizing the tender can be done from anywhere, reflecting the seamless flexibility customers now expect.
On top of that, new checkout options like Sharecart, assisted checkout, and self-checkout give customers more freedom to choose how they shop; whether online, in-store, or both. This next level of omnichannel shopping shows how using AI and data-driven insights create highly personalized shopping experiences that make buying easier and more enjoyable for everyone.
3. Fulfillment and installation
True omnichannel mastery shines during fulfillment and installation, where flexibility and personalization meet operational excellence. Efficient installation services are essential to delivering a seamless home improvement experience. This means enabling customers to easily schedule simple installation tasks like appliance pickups and disposal of old ones, while also supporting complex installation projects through integrated platforms that allow for planning, tracking, and coordinating milestones across digital channels, physical stores, and professional service providers. Supporting this are diverse fulfillment options that prioritize customer choice whether it’s Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS) with locker or curbside pickup, parcel or truck delivery based on urgency and product size, or local gig-based delivery services for faster turnaround. Such omnichannel orchestration reduces friction and empowers customers to manage their projects with confidence and convenience.
Moreover, the option for order modification allows customers to reschedule or update their orders across channels effortlessly, rescheduling a purchase made in-store through the app, for example, reinforcing the true freedom that omnichannel delivers.
4. Post-purchase care and support
In today’s competitive retail landscape, true omnichannel excellence should extend beyond purchase and installation. Loyalty programs like My Lowe’s Rewards boast over 30 million members and drive higher engagement and spending by integrating marketing innovations with technology. Customers enjoy perks and personalized offers across channels, fostering long-term loyalty.
In the home improvement industry, the post-purchase phase is often the beginning of deeper engagement. Customers may need help with product usage, installation issues, warranty claims, or follow-up services. Meeting these require consistent, cross-channel support. Whether tracking appointments, managing returns, or seeking advice online or in-store, every interaction must be timely, personalized, and friction-free to maintain trust and drive long-term loyalty. This fluid experience reflects the true essence of omnichannel retail where customer empowerment becomes a key differentiator at every stage.
Going beyond basics: The future of omnichannel at Lowe’s
At the core of these stages lies a sophisticated omnichannel technology architecture. By moving away from fragmented legacy systems to scalable, open-source platforms, retailers can unify data and processes across all customer touchpoints.
Lowe’s omnichannel strategy isn’t just about meeting expectations, it’s about redefining them for the next generation of shoppers. Gen Z, in particular, craves personalized, stress-free experiences that keep pace with their fast-moving lifestyles and digital fluency. By harnessing AI, predictive analytics, and immersive technologies like generative AI-powered design assistants, Lowe’s is delivering hyper-personalized journeys that transform inspiration into installation effortlessly.
This omnichannel 2.0 approach gives customers unparalleled freedom, whether designing on their smartphones, visualizing in augmented reality, or scheduling installation with a few taps, bringing home improvement dreams to life with ease, confidence, and joy.
Rahul Chokhani is Vice President – Omnichannel Platforms at Lowe’s India.
(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)
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