NC: Lowe's Opens 200,000-Sq.-Ft. Charlotte Fulfillment Center for Pro Customers Only, Creating 40 Jobs

Home improvement giant Lowe's has opened its first Pro Fulfillment Center, which will serve pros in the construction business, including builders, remodelers, landscapers, plumbers and electricians. The 200,000-sq.-ft. center, which employs 40 workers, is based in Charlotte, N.C., and is serving pro customers in the area.

Lowe's says it considers the Pro Fulfillment Center as a pilot which serves as the next step in its “Total Home” strategy to serve and attract pro customers, who the retailer says shop at a higher frequency and value speed and convenience, reports Chain Store Age.

The Pro Fulfillment Center offers Charlotte area pros next-day delivery of the products they use most in the quantities they normally purchase. The assortment consists of more than 1,000 products, including lumber, building materials, roofing, sheetrock, shingles, insulation, windows/doors, and big and bulky items with their key attachments.

The facility is built to be zero-emission, with such features as battery-powered forklifts. Lowe’s will use it to test, learn and evolve its approach to provide an omnichannel experience tailored for pro customers, says CSA.

The company, based in Mooresville, N.C., has noted the pro customer shops at Lowe's “significantly more” often than regular customers. Also, the pro product market is more than $400 billion and is expected to grow faster than the overall U.S. home improvement market in the coming years, reports CSA.