Like any other retailer, Lowe’s wants its pool of supplier partners to be large and growing.
Lowe’s has a special program, the Lowe’s Into the Blue: Lowe’s Product Pitch
Event, to help potential partners find Lowe’s buyers. It’s important for
prospective suppliers to be aware of application date ranges.
Lowe’s Into the Blue Product Pitch Program
Lowe’s is looking for home improvement suppliers, but not just the most generic home improvement items. Lowe’s wants to meet as many home improvement needs as their customers might have, so they are always looking for partners who are interested in expanding the commonly held assumptions about what a home improvement brand may be.
That being said, the products that will be considered will be within Lowe’s larger vision for
product merchandising and market opportunity strategies.
The Into the Blue Product Pitch program is exclusively for potential partners who want to sell products for retail at Lowe’s, not partners who want to sell services, technology, or other tangential products to the retailer itself for its own internal use.
For more information on pitching a product at Lowe’s, click on the View Terms & Conditions button on the Supplier Registration page.
RangeMe and Lowe’s
Lowe’s utilizes RangeMe, an app dedicated to connecting suppliers and retailers with trading partners, for their product application process. Many other large and smaller retailers also utilize RangeMe to get connected with suppliers.
For smaller businesses trying to break into major retailers for the first time, tools like RangeMe can be invaluable.
Who Can Become a Lowe’s Supplier?
Companies looking to become Lowe’s suppliers must:
- Have one or more market-ready products; services cannot be proposed to Lowe’s through RangeMe
- Have products that are home improvement or “non-traditional home improvement” style items
On Lowe’s Supplier Registration page, they also recommend diverse certification, and they list these third-party accredited certification organizations:
These certifications can be uploaded in the identified field on the RangeMe application.
Lowe’s requires that its suppliers comply with its Lowe’s Vendor Code of
Conduct as well. This code of conduct is fairly standard among larger retailers, but it’s a great idea to review as well.
After submitting a proposal through RangeMe, look for a “request to bid,” “product review,” or a contract from Lowe’s. Making a proposal is not a guarantee that you will be contacted, but it is an essential part of the process.