RONA deal gives Lowe’s valuable data

BOUCHERVILLE, Que. ― The acquisition of RONA increases Lowe’s Canadian store presence tenfold, but even more important is its knowledge of its customer base, according to Forbes. RONA’s database of customer activity will be invaluable, and its long-time membership in Air Miles has given it access to information about customer purchases at other participating retailers. Such coalition loyalty programs, in which participants share data, are common in Canada and Europe but still relatively unknown in Lowe’s native U.S. market.