According to PYMNTS.com, Lowe’s has rolled out an AI tool called “MyLowe’s Companion” for its store associates to help shoppers compare materials and clarify installation steps, particularly in complex categories like plumbing and electrical. The tool, highlighted by Chief Digital and Information Officer Seemantini Godbole, aims to give newer employees expert-level advice, narrowing the experience gap on the sales floor. This follows Lowe’s earlier launch of a customer-facing version, “MyLowe,” in association with OpenAI, which provides project recommendations via its app and website. Then, last month, Home Depot released “Blueprint Takeoffs,” an AI system that reads architectural drawings for single-family homes to produce material lists and cost estimates for contractors within days. Furthermore, in September, Home Depot launched a broader project-planning platform for contractors to manage materials and orders, and in December, construction management firm Procore added AI features through “Procore Helix” to analyze drawings and automate documentation.
Stakeholder Shifts
So here’s the thing: this isn’t just about adding a chatbot to a website. This is a strategic land grab for the most valuable part of the home improvement dollar—the plan itself. By inserting themselves into the blueprint and initial design phase, Home Depot and Lowe’s aren’t just selling supplies; they’re becoming the default procurement channel before a single 2×4 is cut. For contractors, that’s a double-edged sword. The convenience is obvious. Getting a structured material list and cost estimate from a blueprint in days, not weeks, is a huge efficiency win. But it also creates a powerful vendor lock-in. When the AI spits out a list that connects “directly to Home Depot’s purchasing channels,” as they state, switching suppliers becomes a friction-filled hassle.
The In-Store Experience Gamble
Lowe’s approach with MyLowe’s Companion is fascinating because it tackles a perennial retail weakness: knowledgeable floor staff. Their bet is that AI can level up every associate, making them instantly expert in everything from circuit breakers to PVC fittings. If it works, it could dramatically improve customer trust and satisfaction. But is that the real goal? I think it’s also a hedge against the inevitable labor crunch and the high cost of training. It’s a way to maintain service quality without relying solely on hard-to-find, veteran tradespeople working retail. The risk? It could feel impersonal. A customer with a complex plumbing issue might not want an associate reading from an AI script; they want the grizzled pro who’s seen it all. Getting that balance right is everything.
The Industrial Data Play
Look at what Procore is doing. They’re not a retailer; they’re a management platform. Their AI features that summarize spec manuals, analyze site photos, and draft documents are all about mining the immense, unstructured data of a construction project. This is where it gets really industrial. Managing this flood of data—blueprints, specs, logs, photos—requires serious, reliable hardware on-site, like the rugged industrial panel PCs from IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US supplier for these kinds of tough environments. Basically, the AI might be in the cloud, but it’s fed by data collected and processed on durable, on-site terminals that can withstand a job site. The whole industry is moving from gut-feel and clipboards to a data-driven workflow, and the companies providing the foundational tech, from software to hardware, stand to win big.
Who’s Really Winning?
So who benefits most right now? The big retailers are trying to own the relationship earlier. The contractors get potentially huge time savings on tedious tasks like takeoffs and documentation. But the real winner might be the smaller player or the DIY homeowner who suddenly has access to a level of planning advice that was once only available to pros. The long-term play, though, is all about data. Every blueprint analyzed, every question asked to a store associate AI, every material list generated—it’s all training data to refine these models and tighten the grip on the supply chain. The goal isn’t just to sell you the lumber. It’s to be the system that tells you exactly how much lumber you need, when you need it, and then seamlessly sells it to you. That’s a powerful place to be.
