Does Walmart Own Lowe’s in 2026? No, and Here’s Why That Matters for Savvy Shoppers Like You

Walmart and Lowe’s are two of America’s go-to retailers for affordable prices on a wide range of products. From groceries and clothing to tools and appliances, both stores promise the convenience of one-stop shopping.

With Walmart’s reputation for snapping up competitors, it’s fair to ask: does the retail giant own Lowe’s home improvement stores?

The answer is no – Walmart does not own Lowe’s. While they compete across some home categories, Lowe’s operates as a completely separate company.

As a bargain hunter and project DIYer yourself, understanding the real relationship between Walmart and Lowe’s can help you make smarter shopping choices.

Let’s compare these retail powerhouses in depth so you can tap into the best of both for your next purchase. Walmart and Lowe’s have distinct strengths that savvy shoppers can use to their advantage!

Lowe’s Stands On Its Own

Before we dive into how Walmart and Lowe’s stack up for shoppers, let’s clear up that ownership question once and for all:

Lowe’s is not owned or operated by Walmart in any way.

Lowe’s is a publicly traded company without a single majority owner. Here are the facts:

• The largest single shareholder is investment firm Vanguard Group, with only 8% of Lowe’s stock.

• Numerous institutional investors and mutual fund companies hold the rest of Lowe’s shares.

• Walmart owns zero percent of Lowe’s as of late 2022. No control or ownership ties exist between the companies.

This distributed ownership structure keeps Lowe’s fully independent from Walmart. Lowe’s remains free to chart its own course in the home improvement industry.

And chart its own course it has, for nearly a century! Let’s examine Lowe’s meteoric rise from small-town hardware store to retail juggernaut.

Lowe’s History Highlights Its Staying Power

Lowe’s has grown exponentially while remaining family-founded and led over three generations:

• Founded in 1921 by Lucius Lowe in North Wilkesboro, NC.

• Expanded across the southeast U.S. through the mid-1900s under Lucius’ son Jim Lowe.

• Went public in 1961 to fuel nationwide growth.

• Current chairman and CEO Marvin Ellison took over in 2018, guiding Lowe’s to over $95 billion in 2021 revenue.

Today Lowe’s operates nearly 2,200 home improvement stores across North America.

With long-term success carved out of its exclusive home improvement niche, Lowe’s shows no signs of being subsumed by Walmart or any other retailer.

Lowe’s stands on its own merits as the #2 home improvement chain in the U.S. behind The Home Depot. Now let’s see how it stacks up against Walmart.

Home Improvement Showdown: Lowe’s vs. Walmart

Lowe’s and Walmart both sell home improvement products, but with key differences that impact your shopping experience.

Get the full home retailer showdown with this side-by-side comparison:

	Lowe‘s	Walmart
Focus	Home improvement expertise	Broad general merchandise
Revenue	$96 billion	$573 billion
Store Count	1,971 U.S. stores	4,650+ U.S. stores
Selection	Broader, deeper inventory	Narrower home assortment
Prices	Often beat Walmart prices	Low everyday prices, frequent sales
Services	Installation, assembly, design	Basic checkout and assistance
Convenience	Primarily suburban locations	Stores in most neighborhoods

A few key takeaways:

• Walmart’s massive general merchandise selection dwarfs Lowe’s specialized home improvement inventory.

• But Lowe’s offers a wider array of products and brands compared to Walmart’s home departments.

• Lowe’s provides more services through partnerships with experienced tradespeople to install and assemble your projects.

• You’ll likely find better prices at Lowe’s on comparable tools and building materials.

• Lowe’s focus pays off for home DIYers, while Walmart’s one-stop shopping works better for quick purchases.

Let’s explore some of these comparison points more closely…

Product Selection and Availability

Home improvement makes up a small percentage of Walmart’s overall sales. Shelves are stocked based on local demand rather than showcasing each product line completely.

Meanwhile, Lowe’s dedicates its full 170,000+ square foot stores to home improvement. You’ll find displays of every item from brands like Craftsman, LG, Maytag, and John Deere. Specialty options like cabinetry and customizable blinds go beyond Walmart’s selection.

Price and Value Comparison

You might assume Walmart’s legendarily low prices extend to home categories too. But thanks to volume discounts, Lowe’s often matches or beats Walmart’s prices for similar tools, appliances, and materials.

And savvy shoppers take advantage of Lowe’s price match guarantee against home improvement competitors, using it as bargaining power.

Many DIYers also value the convenience and warranty protections provided by Lowe’s installation services for big projects. That makes the total price of high-quality flooring or appliances from Lowe’s a better overall value.

Shopping Experience

Bucket-list home projects demand hands-on examination of your options, or an expert’s opinion.

While Walmart offers convenience for routine purchases, ambitious DIYers are better served browsing Lowe’s extensive installations and interacting with knowledgeable sales staff. Lowe’s provides the immersive, inspiring experience you want when investing in home upgrades.

The bottom line? Lowe’s focus on home improvement makes it the go-to option for specialized products, service, and advice – advantages a general retailer like Walmart simply can’t match.

What Other Major Retailers Does Walmart Own?

Walmart may not own Lowe’s, but it does have full or partial ownership of many other large companies worldwide.

Some major brands that fall under Walmart’s control include:

United States

• Sam’s Club – Membership warehouse chain with 600+ locations

• Jet.com – Online shopping site acquired by Walmart in 2016 for $3.3 billion

• Hayneedle – An online home goods store purchased by Walmart in 2016

• Bonobos – Walmart purchased this popular menswear e-tailer in 2017 for $310 million

International

• Flipkart – Leading online retailer in India, acquired by Walmart in 2018 for $16 billion

• Asda – Walmart owns this major UK grocery chain with over 600 stores

• Seiyu – Walmart owns a majority of this large Japanese supermarket chain

Canada

• Walmart Canada – The Canadian segment of Walmart stores, 400+ locations

Mexico and Central America

• Walmex – Walmart’s Mexico and Central America division with 2,500+ stores

Notice anything missing? Lowe’s is not on the list.

Walmart has certainly expanded through major acquisitions, but purchasing Lowe’s would reduce valuable competition in the home improvement market.

And for now, Lowe’s continues gaining ground as a thriving independent retailer.

Why Hasn’t Walmart Acquired Lowe’s?

Given Walmart’s appetite for mergers and acquisitions, it’s fair to wonder why a Lowe’s deal has never materialized.

There are a few likely reasons buying Lowe’s doesn’t fit Walmart’s strategy:

1. Lowe’s market value is massive.

Lowe’s 2016 market capitalization topped $70 billion and its valuation has only grown since then. Acquiring Lowe’s would be one of the largest deals ever for Walmart.

2. Scale wouldn’t improve much.

Since both already have national footprints, Walmart wouldn’t gain a meaningful number of new stores or locations.

3. Lowe’s is successful independently.

As the #2 home improvement retailer behind Home Depot, Lowe’s holds significant market share Walmart has been unable to penetrate.

4. Antitrust concerns.

Regulators may block a merger of two huge retailers to maintain competition and consumer choice.

While Lowe’s has surely popped up in Walmart acquisition conversations, the challenges of integrating another massive retailer make a deal unlikely barring major changes in the home improvement space.

Other Walmart Acquisition Speculation

Lowe’s isn’t the only retailer that gets tongues wagging about a possible Walmart acquisition. Here are a few other major brands that have been rumored acquisition targets:

Costco – This membership warehouse chain would provide Walmart bulk buying power. But an acquisition is unlikely as Costco remains successful independently.

Target – Walmart’s major discount store rival would immediately boost Walmart’s fashion offerings and small-format urban store footprint. While touted as a smart matchup, anti-competitive concerns dim merger prospects unless Target’s business falters.

Kroger – America’s largest supermarket chain would let Walmart leap ahead in grocery sales. But Kroger recently purchased several regional grocery chains, signaling its plans to stay independent.

Wayfair – Some analysts think Walmart should acquire this e-commerce home retailer to bolster its online furniture and home decor offerings. However, Wayfair’s focus on e-commerce differs hugely from Walmart’s brick-and-mortar empire.

While these major retailers are occasionally rumored acquisition targets, Walmart’s choice to stay out of the home improvement market by avoiding a Lowe’s deal suggests an arms-length competitive stance rather than eliminating rivals.

The Outlook for Lowe’s Remaining Independent

Given Lowe’s strong performance and future prospects, the home improvement standby seems poised to remain fully independent from Walmart ownership.

Here are positive indicators for Lowe’s continued autonomy:

• Lowe’s stock has risen 40% over the last 5 years, signaling investor confidence.

• Comparable store sales grew 6.9% in 2021 as homeowners took on more projects during the pandemic.

• Lowe’s plans to open 50+ new stores in 2022 to reach more of the growing $900 billion home improvement market.

• CEO Marvin Ellison says Lowe’s is “optimistic” about sustaining pandemic-fueled growth for home improvement spending.

Barring an unexpected downturn, Lowe’s looks likely to maintain its solo trajectory and thrive as one of America’s favorite home upgrade retailers.

While Lowe’s remains fully distinct from Walmart, savvy shoppers can take advantage of both retail giants by understanding their unique strengths.

Let’s recap when you should choose Lowe’s vs. Walmart for your next purchase.

Lowe’s or Walmart? Tips for Choosing the Best Retailer

Now that you know Walmart doesn’t own Lowe’s, how do you decide where to shop for your next project or purchase?

Shop at Lowe’s When You Want:

Specialized products – Find a wider selection of tools, materials, and home goods not available at Walmart. Take advantage of Lowe’s exclusive brand partnerships popular with contractors.

Project guidance – Get tailored advice from knowledgeable Lowe’s employees on home improvement projects and how to execute them. Walmart staff may have limited project expertise.

Installation services – Have Lowe’s expert team handle installing major purchases like flooring, roofing, and cabinets to free up your time. Walmart does not offer installation services.

Immersive shopping experiences – Browse room-like displays, examine products hands-on, and explore ideas. Lowe’s showrooms and design centers cater to invested DIYers.

Shop at Walmart When You Want:

Convenient one-stop shopping – Quickly grab home goods along with grocery, clothing, pharmacy, or other everyday purchases at your neighborhood Walmart.

Low prices on commodities – For home staples like light bulbs, cleaning products, storage totes, or minor tools, Walmart’s everyday low prices get the job done.

General home furnishings – Pick up small furniture pieces, home decor, kitchen gadgets, outdoor cushions, and other basic home goods at an affordable price. Selection focuses on cost over quality.

Familiar shopping environment – Skip navigating a big-box store if you just want to quickly find a few home items. Shop the easy-to-browse Walmart shelves you already know.

Get the Best of Both Home Improvement Worlds

Both Walmart and Lowe’s can play a role in keeping your home improvement projects on budget. Now that you know Walmart doesn’t own Lowe’s, you can shop both mega-retailers strategically based on their key differences.

Tap into superstore selection and services at Lowe’s for specialized products and complex projects. Use neighborhood Walmart convenience for household basics at everyday low prices.

Armed with insider knowledge about Walmart and Lowe’s true relationship, you don’t have to choose one retailer over the other. Get the best from both stores by understanding their complementary strengths for smart home shopping.