Home Depot Online Sales Up 11%, Lowe’s AI Assistant Handles 1 Million Questions a Month — Home Improvement Goes Digital

Two of the world’s largest home improvement retailers both reported accelerating online sales growth in their most recent quarterly earnings, signalling that even categories traditionally dependent on physical shopping are moving decisively digital. Home Depot — the world’s largest home improvement retailer — reported that while total net sales declined 3.9% year-over-year to $38.2 billion in its fiscal fourth quarter ended February 2026, online sales were up approximately 11% over the same period. The gain in digital sales came against a backdrop of pressure from high home prices and elevated mortgage rates, which have suppressed demand for large renovation projects. Home Depot’s leadership reaffirmed 2026 guidance and expressed optimism that housing market conditions will normalise later in the year. At Lowe’s, the competing home improvement chain, CEO Marvin Ellison reported a more broadly positive picture: net sales rose 10.9% year-over-year to $20.58 billion in the quarter ended January 30. Ellison highlighted the performance of Mylow Companion — Lowe’s AI-powered virtual assistant — which now handles approximately 1 million customer questions each month. The scale of adoption signals that AI-powered customer service tools are moving from early trials into mainstream operations at major retailers. Both companies are co-signatories of Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol, giving their online catalogues AI-driven discoverability across Google Search and the Gemini app.