Lowe’s has another major customer problem amid declining sales | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

Lowe’s (LOW) is facing another rude awakening after its sales recently suffered from a major shift in customer behavior.

In Lowe’s first-quarter earnings report for 2025, it revealed that its comparable sales dipped by 1.7% year-over-year, while the number of customer transactions dropped by 3.9%.

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Recent data from Placer.ai also found that foot traffic in Lowe’s stores declined by 3.6% year-over-year during the quarter. In April alone, visits even dropped by almost 7%.

During an earnings call in May, Bill Boltz, Lowe’s executive vice president of merchandising, said that customers are avoiding making purchases for large home improvement projects, which impacted sales.

“Bigger ticket project spending remains under pressure in interior categories like flooring, and kitchens, and bath,” said Boltz. “With many customers still choosing to delay those larger purchases.”

The entrance of a Lowe’s store.

Image source&colon; Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock

Lowe’s sales may take another huge hit this month

As this trend harms sales, Lowe’s said during the call that it will focus on keeping its prices competitive to win back customers. However, the home improvement retailer now faces another significant threat that may make repairing its low sales more difficult.

Lowe’s is facing a nationwide boycott from customers that started on Aug. 1 and is set to last for the rest of the month. The boycott is organized by a group called The People’s Union USA, which has been organizing boycotts of large companies such as Amazon, Home Depot and Target since February.

According to The People’s Union USA’s website, it aims to “expose corruption and exploitation,” “hold corporations accountable,” and “lead local and national economic resistance” through these boycott efforts.

The movement was launched shortly after President Donald Trump took office in January and enforced major policy changes such as tariffs, DEI cuts and a fierce immigration crackdown.

“We’re building a people-powered force that’s not just pushing back, but preparing to take power back from the corporations, the billionaire class, and the political parasites that have been feeding off our work, our wages, and our rights for far too long,” said The People’s Union USA on its website.

In a recent video on Instagram, The People’s Union USA founder John Schwarz said that over the next few months, it will target Lowe’s and other companies “harder than ever.”

“Since February, we have been shaking the foundations of the very corporations that fund this corrupt, treasonous and evil administration, companies that exploit the people, companies that laugh in the face of our struggle,” said Schwarz. “We have shown them. We have shown them our strength, and they have felt it. But my friends, we are far from done. July, August and September, we are hitting them harder than ever. These are major companies with massive impact.”

Lowe’s previously avoided another major boycott threat

The Lowe’s boycott comes after the home improvement retailer cut its diversity, equity and inclusion policies last year, dodging a boycott from conservative consumers.

Shortly after conservative activist Robby Starbuck messaged Lowe’s executives in August last year, claiming that he would “expose their woke policies” on social media, the retailer forwarded him an internal email detailing its DEI cuts one week later.

In the email, Lowe’s said that it decided to remove individual employee groups that represent diverse identities at the company. It also pulled its participation in the Human Rights Campaign survey, which tracks LGBTQ+ corporate policies and practices.

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Lowe’s also said it will no longer support certain community events, such as festivals and parades, that are not aligned with its top three philanthropic focus areas.

“Like many other companies, in July 2023 after the Supreme Court’s decision in the Harvard/UNC cases, we began reviewing our diversity and inclusion programs to ensure they are lawful and aligned with our commitment to include everyone in the incredible opportunities here at Lowe’s and ensure that no one is excluded,” said Lowe’s in the email. “We made some changes to our programs so they can more effectively further this commitment.”

Boycotts have become a growing problem for companies in recent months as political tensions spike.

According to a recent survey from LendingTree, 31% of Americans have boycotted a business for various reasons, such as the company condoning discrimination, its political donations, affiliations, or religious messaging or practices.

Also, 45% of Americans said they at least sometimes research a company’s values or beliefs before purchasing from its business.