Home Centers

Lowe’s is gearing up for increased demand this spring, by hiring approximately 45,000 seasonal employees at its stores in the United States. The company will also add 9,000 permanent part-time employees.

Seasonal jobs available are focused on customer support and include cashiers, lawn and garden specialists, loaders, and stockers. The number of hours worked per week will vary based on the needs of individual stores, but, on average, seasonal employees could work an estimated 20 to 25 hours per week. 

A case that started with a group of Home Depot customers reporting two suspected shoplifters in Beaverton, Ore., has produced its first conviction. William Hazelwood, 35, pled guilty to one count of first degree theft and was sentenced to 1.5 years of probation and ordered to pay attorney fees, plus an assessment and surcharge, according to an article in The Oregonian.

Lowe’s corporate downsizing, initially reported as a reduction in customer service employees, will apply to corporate staff as well, according to an article in the Charlotte Observer.

IKEA is prepping for the grand opening of its new Miami-Dade location, set to open on Aug. 27, 2014 to mark the company's second South Florida outpost.

“Construction work has advanced far enough to allow the interior build-up process and finishing details to be complete by August 27,” noted Selwyn Crittendon, store manager of the future IKEA Miami. “Now our primary goal is the final training of the more-than-350 local hires joining the IKEA coworker family.”

John Donahoe, president and CEO of eBay, during a Jan. 18 earnings call expanded on the test of PayPal with retailer Home Depot. 

A division of EBay, PayPal is experimenting with extending its on-line payment system to point-of-sale retail locations. In the fourth quarter of 2011, it chose Home Depot as its first national retailer for a limited test at five stores. PayPal plans to widen the pilot to 51 stores in the Bay Area by the end of the month, Donahoe said.

He explained to investors how the payment process worked by relating his own experience.

Describing 2011 as a pivotal year for the nation’s No. 2 home center chain, Lowe’s executives continued to hammer on their theme transformation from retailer to a “home improvement company” during its annual conference last month.

What exactly is a home improvement company? CEO Robert Niblock explained.