Lowe’s, through their affiliate network newsletter, has informed us that their free shipping policy has changed.
To sum up the major changes, the lowes.com free parcel shipping threshold has been lowered from $49 to $45 for all customers. For MyLowe’s members, however, the free parcel shipping minimum went from $0 to $45.
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Lowe’s started offering “free parcel shipping” for MyLowe’s members in the 48 contiguous US states starting on May 1st, 2017, with some restrictions.
We reached out to Lowe’s for a comment and will follow-up when we hear back.
Lowe’s free shipping terms prior to 9/4/2019 (Before):
Free Standard Shipping for All MyLowe’s Customers on Qualifying Orders
MyLowe’s Customers:
- You must be logged in to your MyLowe’s account prior to checkout to take advantage of the Free Standard Shipping option. New MyLowe’s customers must register for an account prior to checkout.
Free Standard Shipping for Non-MyLowe’s Customers on Qualifying Orders $49 or More
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Non-MyLowe’s Customers:
- To qualify for Free Standard Business Days Shipping, your order must total $49 or more before any taxes, fees or shipping charges are added.
- Free shipping will not apply if eligible items are canceled, resulting in an order total of less than $49.
Lowe’s free shipping terms as of 9/5/2019:
Free Standard Shipping on Qualifying Orders of $45 or More
- To qualify for free standard shipping, your order must total $45 or more before any taxes, fees or shipping charges are added.
- Free Shipping will not apply if eligible items are canceled, resulting in an order total of less than $45.
- Free shipping applies only to items weighing less than 150 pounds (or 70 pounds for P.O. Box or APO/FPO addresses) that meet standard weight or cube requirements.
- Free Shipping is only valid on orders shipping to a single address.
- Orders are delivered to the shipping address 1 – 3 business days after they are processed. Processing take a minimum of one business day and delivery takes an additional 1 – 3 business days.
More Info(via Lowe’s)
If you’re a MyLowe’s member who has enjoyed their no-minimum free parcel shipping policy for the past 2-1/3 years, how do you feel about these new changes? Have you placed many small orders below $45?
Update with Lowe’s Response
We asked Lowe’s to provide a comment about the free shipping policy change, and they replied:
Lowe’s offers a variety of delivery and pickup options for our customers, including free, buy online, pick-up in-store and free standard shipping on qualifying orders of $45 or more.
We asked why they cancelled the no-minimum free parcel shipping for My Lowe’s members, whether they’re getting rid of the program, whether it’s to lower costs, whether there will be a different paid-membership program in its place, and whether there is any comment about the free shipping minimum going from $0 for MyLowe’s members to $45.
We don’t have anything additional to share. This is consistent with retail industry standards.
To add context to their latest statement, I would point out that Home Depot, Lowe’s biggest retail competitor, offers free parcel shipping on $45+ orders.
Frank D
I can understand that a high volume of small orders pushes them to mandate a minimum order amount. At the same time it is a competitive market out there. And, this was about the only perk that I used a couple times that made me actually look at lowes online. So, if they want to get more mainstream traction, this may (will?) backfire, as people will, just continue to use some bigger retailer or etailer sites by default. I think know I will not shop Lowes more because of this adverse change.
TB
Well and you could try using a lower amount, $20 or something would still have me look there first for most things and might not cut into their margin too much.
Mike
Companies like Lowes use on-line platforms so they can offer more products without having to stock the items in their stores – thereby saving distribution and inventory costs. Not a problem.
As myLowes member, I have taken advantage of the free shipping to home. And as long as Lowes offers a FREE ship to store option, I would continue to buy online. However, where ship to store is not an option and the item can only be shipped direct to my home (at a cost if order less than $45), I will shop elsewhere. Home Depot is less an a mile from Lowes in my town.
Ray
When shopping for appliances Lowes will switch out a problem unit for up to 30 days after sale. Home Depot will only take it back for 2 days then it is manufacturer’s repair service or H.D. extended warranty repair service (if purchased). But still no switch out
Some refrigerator freezer problems such as icing , frost free timer/heater ,excess moisture problems take 4-5 days to show up.
Mattd
I loved it becauae of their poor management of their online site. You could find a clearance item in a store in virginia and have it shipped to your home in texas (where the item was full price) for free. Sad to see it go but they had to be losing money because of people like me.
Adam
If Lowe’s actually sent out the product from THAT store, they wouldn’t end up with hundreds/thousands of the clearance orders bouncing around the country. Anyone that has got in on a clearance deal like that, knows someone’s brain is taking a snooze for it to continue to go on. I mean, keep it up, I love them, but if I was the CEO, I know I’d be replacing a few people.
Daniel
Ah I never knew this!
Adam
Lowe’s could have avoided this, had they had someone competent running their shipping. You can order something shipped to your house, and all the Lowe’s around you have it in stock, but is shipped from a random state across the country.
If they want to raise it fine, but there is less incentive for my people to sign up for My(crappy)Lowe’s. Maybe free shipping at $30 for members?
On top of that, it will hurt them on some orders. People will pad their order over $45, and return what they don’t need.
Now if they would find someone who knows how to implement an internet cookie properly. I don’t know how many bleeping times Lowe’s.com wants me to log in. Guess there isn’t much incentive now anyway.
MattF
YES, what is with the showing you an item for 1 second and the.n wanting to force a login??
dave9
I see two problems with that theory, of people padding the order then returning items.
1) They might just deduct the shipping from the refund, considering their statement “Free shipping will not apply if eligible items are canceled, resulting in an order total of less than $49.” If not now, they may do this eventually if people do that.
2) Unless you’re paying shipping to return the item, you’ll have to drive to the store, which completely negates any benefit of having items shipped so you don’t have to drive to the store.
Daniel
Ridiculous. The company is trying to save as much money as possible as it was bleeding like crazy. Their CEO came from the failing JCPennys, so that explains alot. They cut thousands of jobs to save more money while promising its to serve the customers better. Then come to say there going to hire 2 or 3 more workers per store to help serve customers more. They cut all their maintenance workers, assemblers and internet fulfillment team members. While not promising them further employment but the opportunity to re apply in the future. What big retailer in today’s world cuts there internet fulfillment teams and gets rid of free shipping for its loyal consumers (mylowes members). A company that is bleeding. And is only making far worse choices to try and save money. I for one, won’t order from Lowes anymore. As snubbing your loyal customers is a total downfall for a company. I give them 10 years or less if they continue their trend.
Ed S
Frankly I am pretty disappointed in Lowes. Their contractors (outsourced) have been unreliable. Their Pro Sales staff are also sketchy and unreliable. Even the phone support seems to drop the ball. (I financed several Pella windows and install through Lowe’s…never again. Worst experience, took a year to correct, and they wouldn’t even give me a gift card for they admitted it was their fault from day one!)
I’ve committed to never shopping at Lowes, as much as I thought they were better than HD. (HD customer phone support is abysmal… how many times the phone tree would disconnect me).
Having a minimum for orders means that they are looking for ways to fix problems.
SC
This is just another thing Lowe’s is doing to their customers to keep more money for them. They continue to lie to the customer..the press..their employees. Firing ppl with no compensation.. telling the press it’s to put more associates on the floor to focus on the customers but not doing so and having an internal hiring freezes. Lowe’s is not following the Home Depot model…they continue to follow and still going down.. losing so many knowledgeable employees. Lowe’s is not following the HD model. This is Marvin’s dream.
Logir
He closed orchard supply, which was the pinnacle of biggish store customer service.
My local lowes only has self checkout open when I go. (7am ish) the home depots here are so downright trashy i go to one about 3 towns away, so not too much better nearby
Jarf
I guess they’re trying to drive more people to Amazon?
Will I bother with a minimum shipping dollar amount or just use my Prime account and probably get a better price anyway?
I’m not a fan of Amazon’s tactics – but Lowe’s isn’t going to win much ground with online shipping minimums.
DannyK
While it’s nice to have free shipping with no minimum amount, it’s too good to last. Let’s face it, too many people abuse the system. Secondly, what other retailer in home improvement sector even matches that? Home Depot has a minimum amount for free shipping.
There are stuff that Lowe’s sell that I can’t find at HD, vice versa. It’s ridiculous all this boycotting talk. However, I do agree that Lowe’s made some bad moves like closing all the OSH Hardware stores and laying off store employees. Their services and responsiveness seem worse lately.
Matt
I agree with that. The charge is on par with HD and they indeed offer things the other doesn’t. I’m at Lowe’s,HD & Menard’s all the time. We get all concrete products and all paint from HD. Always have. All appliances and most flooring we’ve ever purchased were at Lowe’s. Nobody in our area beats Lowe’s when it comes to appliances. Not Sears when they were around and not even Best Buy. Our Lowe’s has actually been really good with customer service lately. Exceptionally good actually. No doubt this is to save money. I don’t know that this will cost them sales though as some suggest. I could be wrong…
In our store Kobalt toolboxes are back and new Kobalt power tools are front and center when you walk in now. And they’re pretty high end tools too. Much nicer than the current Craftsman stuff and I think it’s nicer than even the new MetaboHPT stuff as well as much of the DeWalt display. I was really surprised. There’s definitely something going on behind the scenes.
Toolfreak
Lowe’s should offer free ship-to-store as an alternative to free no-minimum shipping.
The idea being, if you’re going to the store to pick up an item, you might actually go inside to get it and buy other stuff while you’re there.
Walmart currenty offers this on most of the same items as Lowe’s/Home Depot and even Amazon.
I don’t mind the free shipping minimums since it’s crazy to offer free shipping and someone buys hundreds of cheap items seperately and shipping for each one is obvously a loss. There just needs to be free ship-to-store and the proper logistics to go with it so they’re taking advantage of the distribution network to transfer items from a warehouse to a store for minimum cost. Even if it takes a week or two, that’s fine. If they just have the items shipped to the store for the same cost instead of shipping it to a residence, that’s not really saving them anything, and just makes customers go elsewhere if retailers are going to play games.
Greg
Lowes nail in the coffin was taking on craftsman. Mark my word. They will be shuttering in 5-10 years.
Why they put all their stock in a failing name is beyond me. All the associates were brainwashed and hyped up for craftsman.
Daniel
Agreed. They got Craftsman for brand recognition. That is about it it, my guess. Taking on the whole warranty process of free replacements, just crazy for a business already losing money.
Ted
I don’t really look at it as Lowes took on Craftsman – they stock Craftsman items for Stanley. Stanley is the one responsible for the cost of warranty replacements. Lowes does not own the Craftsman name and it is not exclusive to them
Carl J
Well there is a cost to Lowe’s in honoring a warranty claim. An employee has to process the return, an employee has to shuttle the return to the back room, an employee has to package up the returns to send back. So while the manufacturer/distributor might credit the store for the tool cost, their are still very real costs to the store in wages and time.
Rose
First of all, too many people abuse the system. Any online purchase anywhere, has a minimum cost for shipping. Even Amazon. You pay an anual membership fee to them to get free shipping. These days with one company after another going out of business, they are trying to stay afloat. Yes, perhaps their CEO screwed up. Look around and you will see that he is not the only one. Lowes is the only store that goes out of it’s way to honor veterans. They have parking spaces for them, they get a discount and my husband is always thanked for his service. When I shop there they extend the discount to me. This is a wonderful thing as my husband has cancer from agent orange and I am now doing all the shopping. Home depot on the other hand has turned my husband down for a discount in the past, before he received his disability card from the VA. I know for a fact that they would not give me a discount even if I brought my husbands card with me. So I only shop at home depot when absolutely necessary. As for my family, it’s Lowes before home depot.
Josh
I’d really like to see this be extended to lumber. I don’t have a truck, so when I need something for a project I either have to pay $80 to have them drop it at my house or rent their damn truck. It’s just not ideal.
Brent
I totally agree, there should be free delivery on lumber,windows and the like if you spent $300 or more. I just spent over $1000 on building materials. And they wanted to charge me $150 for delivery. They said because they would have to make 2 trips. Because not everything was currently in stock.
Mattd
Fyi Many homedepots have a “pro deliver truck” program that gives same day delivery for $20 for up to 2000 lbs of stuff.
Jim Felt
Don’t you have access to an actual local “lumber yard” or two?
We actually never buy building materials at Lowe’s or HD. Except maybe Saturday night or Sunday. Local yards that mostly offer delivery, accounts and way better variety.
dave9
You might be expecting too much. They have to maintain the vehicle, pay the driver, pay for insurance, etc.
If it were dirt cheap to get a truck to move things around, the rest of us wouldn’t have bought trucks to DIY.
Just saying, nothing is really free so they’d have to raise the lumber prices to lower the delivery rate, which wouldn’t go over well for those who don’t want to fund that program.