# Lowe's Turned 1,700 Store Terminals Into Marketplace Ordering Kiosks to Expand SKU Access Without Inventory Risk *Integration with point-of-sale software lets associates order third-party products for customers in-aisle, expanding assortment by thousands of SKUs.* By **Jenny Huang Goodman MPA MSc MHSA, Principal** — The Stash Edge, Hako Shikin LLC. Published 2026-06-26. Canonical: https://www.pops4.com/stash/articles/lowes-2026-06-26t06-4 Subject: Lowe's Tags: marketplace integration, in-store ordering, extended assortment, omnichannel fulfillment, retail distribution --- Lowe's connected its third-party marketplace to the My Red Vest point-of-sale software that employees use across **1,700** stores, according to Modern Retail. Customers can now order marketplace items — decorative geese, above-ground pools, specialty outdoor products — from in-store kiosks or through an associate's device while standing in the aisle. The integration means the physical store becomes a front door for thousands of SKUs the retailer doesn't stock or warehouse. The mechanic is direct. An associate pulls up the product on the same terminal they use for checkout or inventory lookup. The customer completes the order in-store, often while comparing it to a physical product on the shelf. The marketplace vendor ships direct. Lowe's takes a commission. The store captures the sale without holding the inventory. This works because it solves the assortment problem without the holding cost. Big-box retailers cannot economically stock every long-tail SKU — seasonal decor, niche pool accessories, regional garden tools. Carrying them ties up capital and floor space for products that turn slowly. A marketplace expands selection algorithmically, but most customers still prefer to touch, compare, and ask questions in person. The integration places the digital catalog inside the physical environment where trust and service happen. The result is margin arbitrage. Lowe's earns a referral fee on products it never owns. The vendor pays for warehousing and fulfillment. The store keeps the customer relationship and captures adjacent purchases. The customer gets access to a wider catalog without waiting for a future delivery or navigating a separate website at home. A small physical-product brand can copy this by building ordering infrastructure inside someone else's footprint. Find a retail partner — a garden center, a specialty outdoor store, a farm supply chain — and offer to provide your product line as an extended catalog through their existing point-of-sale. You provide product data, pricing, and fulfillment. They provide the location and the associate. Split the margin. Start with a pilot in **three to five locations**. Export your SKU catalog as a CSV with images, descriptions, and real-time stock levels. Most modern POS systems can integrate external product feeds via API or simple data import. If the retailer uses Square, Shopify POS, or Lightspeed, the technical lift is minimal. Your cost is the fulfillment and the commission split, typically **15% to 25%** of the sale. Train the store staff on three scenarios: customer asks for a product not in stock, customer wants a variant unavailable on the shelf, or customer seeks a specialty item the store doesn't carry. The associate pulls up your extended catalog, shows options, and completes the order. You ship direct to the customer within your normal fulfillment window. The store gets credit for the sale and often captures an accessory purchase while the customer is in the aisle. The broader pattern is that physical retail remains the highest-intent environment. A customer who drives to a store and talks to an associate is closer to purchase than someone browsing at home. Putting your catalog inside that moment — without requiring the retailer to buy your inventory — turns shelf space into access space. The store expands its assortment. You expand distribution. The customer gets more choice without leaving the aisle. ## The takeaway Put your catalog inside a retail partner's POS system so associates can order your products for customers in-aisle without the store carrying inventory. --- ## Publisher **Hako Shikin LLC** — Virginia Beach, Virginia. Founded 1997. ASI 217876 · DUNS 18-204-6339. Principal and author: **Jenny Huang Goodman MPA MSc MHSA**. - Author: https://www.huanggoodman.com/about - LLM context: https://www.pops4.com/stash/llms.txt - MCP endpoint, for AI agents: https://mcp.pops4.com/mcp - Client dashboard: https://dashboard.pops4.com/ - Catalogue: 70,000+ products, 200+ brands