Lowe's unveils AI quoting tool

Lowe's launched an AI-powered quoting tool for professional customers on May 21, adding a new digital workflow as the home-improvement chain pushes deeper into the Pro market. The tool, called Material Lists, converts handwritten notes, photos, spreadsheets and other supported file types into quote-ready orders in minutes, Lowe's said in a newsroom release. The company said the feature works in English and Spanish and is designed for contractors and other business buyers who build quotes from jobsite materials lists. The release came a day after Lowe's reported first-quarter 2026 results and reaffirmed its full-year outlook. ### What exactly did Lowe's put out? Material Lists is a new Lowe's tool that takes source documents a contractor might already have — including handwritten notes, a photo of a list or a spreadsheet — and turns them into an order that can be quoted, according to the company. The May 21 release said the product is meant to reduce time spent estimating and quoting. Lowe's described it as part of a broader push to help Pros respond faster to customers and move from field notes to an order without rebuilding the list item by item. ### Who is the customer for this tool? Lowe's said the target user is its Pro customer base, a group that includes small and medium-size contractors and other trade buyers. The company has been adding Pro-focused services this year, including expanded product access, digital tools for quoting and spend management, and MyLowe's Pro Rewards, according to a February 17 release. (corporate.lowes.com) Online quoting was already part of Lowe's Pro offering before this launch. Lowe's says business-account users can create and save quotes through its online order quoting system, and Material Lists appears to feed that workflow by speeding the step between a raw materials list and a quote-ready order. That connection is an inference based on Lowe's existing quoting page and the new release. (corporate.lowes.com) ### Why do English and Spanish support matter here? Lowe's said Material Lists supports both English and Spanish language. The company tied that to quoting workflows for Pros, many of whom manage crews, suppliers and customers across bilingual jobsite environments. (lowes.com) The company also said the tool supports mobile workflows. That matters because many estimates begin away from a desk, from a phone photo or a field note taken at a jobsite rather than from a formal purchasing system. ### How does this fit into Lowe's broader AI push? (corporate.lowes.com) Lowe's has been expanding its use of AI across the business. In May 2025, the company announced an AI assistant for retail associates, calling it a first at-scale rollout for store workers in retail. In September 2025, Lowe's also described an internal AI Day and hackathon involving more than 600 associates. (corporate.lowes.com) The Pro tool arrives as Lowe's is also leaning on that customer segment in its operating strategy. Lowe's reported first-quarter 2026 net earnings of about $1.6 billion and diluted earnings per share of $2.90 for the quarter ended May 1, while affirming fiscal 2026 guidance. The earnings release said the company recorded $96 million in pre-tax expenses tied to the acquisitions of Foundation Building Materials and Artisan Design Group. (corporate.lowes.com) ### Where did Lowe's announce it, and what comes next? Lowe's published the Material Lists announcement from Mooresville, North Carolina, in a May 21 newsroom release distributed through PR Newswire. The company did not give a separate launch timetable in the release beyond saying the tool is being launched for Pro customers. (corporate.lowes.com) Lowe's investor relations site says a replay of its May 20 first-quarter 2026 earnings call is available through May 19, 2027, and the company's 2026 quarterly earnings page lists first-quarter materials for investors tracking the Pro business and digital initiatives. (corporate.lowes.com 1) (corporate.lowes.com 2)