Lowe's 1999 Annual Report Download - page 12

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10
The Internet offers an alternate channel through which Lowe’s can serve its customers.
E-commerce will be available in the second quarter of 2000 at www.lowes.com.
Enhancing and Expanding Our Reach
To maintain our position as an industry leader, we
have recently invested additional resources and personnel in
Lowe’s New Business Development and Strategic Planning
Groups. These new departments are charged with finding –
or creating – innovative avenues to attract more customers,
more often.
The newly formed Internet Business Group has been
diligently researching and refining the latest in technology
and e-commerce. In April of 2000, we began testing “ web
lounges” in our stores where customers can access, view
and purchase more than 4,000 special order appliances.
Using this same technology we will roll-out, in the second
quarter of 2000, e-commerce capabilities to our web site
(www.lowes.com). The initial product offering will be
directed toward expanding our relationship with our
established Commercial Business Customers. As we move
into Summer, product offerings tailored to meet the retail
customers’ needs and preferences will follow.
Partnering with our major vendors, we plan in the
future to offer millions of products through our web site. The
easy to search, easy to navigate site will serve as an
information portal and virtual shopping area. In this manner,
Lowe’s will seamlessly integrate our “ virtual” stores with our
brick and mortar stores, resulting in greater recognition –
and greater sales opportunities – for each.
While we surge forward with retailing breakthroughs