(Reuters) - Lowe’s Co Inc (LOW.N) is expected to edge past rival Home Depot (HD.N) with what could be its biggest growth in quarterly same-store sales in at least a decade, benefiting from its exposure to customers ready to splurge on do-it-yourself home renovations. Sellers of paint, tools and gardening equipment have been among the winners since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as people take up more repair and remodeling projects themselves while hunkered down at home. But business for...

(Reuters) - Home Depot Inc (HD.N) reported its biggest rise in quarterly same-store sales in at least two decades on Tuesday as demand for paint, tools and lawn mowers surged from consumers stuck at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company’s same-store sales jumped 23.4% in the second quarter, surging past analysts’ average estimate of a 10.5% rise, as the home improvement chain emerged as one of the corporate winners during the pandemic. Shares of Home Depot, however, fell about 1% in...

(Reuters) - Lowe’s Cos Inc (LOW.N) blew past analysts’ estimates for quarterly sales and profit on Wednesday as it benefited from a surge in demand for paint, tools and barbecue grills from consumers stuck at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company also posted a 34.2% rise in quarterly same-store sales, beating analysts’ estimates for a 13.2% increase, and said the sales momentum was carrying into August, although it would likely taper off in later months. With a large base of...

Macy's Inc said on Thursday it would lay off about 3,900 employees in corporate and management positions as U.S. businesses try to save cash in the face of dwindling demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The department store chain, which had about 123,000 employees at the end of January, said it expects to save about $365 million in fiscal 2020 and about $630 million every year as a result of the layoffs.

July 15 (Reuters) — Shoppers at Walmart Inc. stores will have to wear face coverings, the world's largest retailer said on Wednesday, mandating what is widely seen as an effective measure to control the spread of the new coronavirus. As coronavirus infections spike in many states across the country, face masks have become the leading recommendation from health experts and government officials looking to control the pandemic while reopening the economy. Walmart said about 65% of its over 5,000...