HD and Lowe's Q1 Sales Impacted by Unfavorable Weather, Spring Demand Shifts to Q2

Lowe's EVP of Merchandising: First half of the year primarily a weather story

A quick confession: I used Google Gemini to quickly summarize the weather’s impact on Lowe’s and Home Depot sales in Q1 for me (and you!).

It’s not because I’m lazy (well, maybe a bit), or too busy (I’m not), it’s mainly because it can, at light speed, do it succinctly and cover the points I think are relevant as it relates to the weather’s profound impact on sales and profitability.

Prompt engineering is a key new skill (and it sounds impressive!) and one I’m continuing to master.

Anyway, as it relates to both Lowe’s and HD, I’m not surprised at this result, and I covered it in this post from early March —

Storm Clouds Over the Home Sector

Colder weather comparison to 2024 plus "Trumponomics" threatens spring sales

Unfortunately, the most challenging weather comparisons have been/will be in the highly populated markets in the eastern half of the country, which will have an outsized impact on sales and margins for both retailers.

Combining the tough weather comparison, the likelihood of we…