A Lowe's shopper was stunned when customer service said they couldn't purchase a heavily discounted item in their cart, even though the merchandise appeared to be in peak condition.
What's happening?
The Lowe's customer detailed their baffling saga in Reddit's r/Lowes community. The trouble began at the checkout counter when the store's system wouldn't register a box of Hillman nails the original poster had picked up in the clearance section for $9.98.
A sales associate directed the OP to customer service, where another associate realized the nails had been marked down to 2 cents, meaning they weren't for sale at all. Instead, Lowe's would be sending the perfectly good nails right to the trash bin.
"The lady at customer service told me this happens all the time with clearance items. … I get it if it's broken or unsafe, but they are literally throwing away boxes of nails that have nothing wrong with them still sealed in the package," the OP said, describing the practice as "asinine."
Why is this important?
Even though Lowe's wouldn't have gotten a significant return on the nails, the OP left uneasy — and for reasons beyond the annoyance of not being able to purchase their desired item. As they pointed out, the retail giant appears to have unnecessary waste baked into its policies.
"Lowes likes to say they are being all environmentally friendly and such, but couldn't they at least donate this stuff to a charity or a nonprofit group if they can't sell it to me the customer?" the OP asked, asking for more insight into the situation.
Generally, nails are made from steel, and their diminutive size may hide the potentially significant impact of discarding them.
According to Science, the steel industry accounts for around 7% of human-generated planet-warming pollution. The United States — the world's largest steel importer — used well over half a million nails in 2013, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission.
As global temperatures have risen, extreme weather events are becoming more intense and frequent, leading to displacement and disruptions in the food supply system.
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Yes — always 😬 Why would Lowe's throw out the nails?
Even though refusing to recoup any money on in-store merchandise seems "ridiculous," according to one Redditor, the practice may be intended to comply with the Sarbanes Oxley Act — aimed at protecting investors from corporate fraud.
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"After an item is written off at the end of the quarter, it can not be reactivated and added into the system," the Redditor said. "If Lowe's system did allow this, it could accidentally allow a much larger operations problem that would be a form of irregular accounting."
Lowe's has also received criticism for allowing waste at its garden center. Nonetheless, other Redditors suggested the OP's experience at the checkout counter was unusual.
"At my Lowe's we still sell them. I never heard we couldn't or shouldn't," one commenter wrote, to which another responded: "We definitely sell them too. Because at that point the customer is who we are serving."
For its part, Lowe's says on its website that it is working to optimize supply-chain efficiency. It has also rolled out recycling programs to divert waste from landfills and waterways.
The Cool Down could not find any specifics on initiatives to reuse or repurpose metal waste. However, the company has received positive buzz for its disaster recovery response, including efforts to bring temporary tiny homes to people still without shelter following Hurricane Helene.
What can be done to reduce resource waste more broadly?
If clutter is building up around your home, you can donate unwanted items rather than sending them to the garbage bin. Many companies will even reward you for sending in your old stuff.
Rehabbing or upcycling old furniture is another way to keep valuable materials out of landfills while refreshing your indoor living spaces.
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