ATGStores.com, an online home furnishing subsidiary owned by Lowe’s, today announced a re-brand and a new personal concierge feature on its e-commerce portal.
The 18-year-old company, which Lowe’s acquired in 2011 and now employs 400 people in Kirkland, Wash., sells more than one million products from more than 2,000 brands — everything from lighting to furniture to appliances.
The company’s new name is The Mine, which today also rolled out a new personal concierge team that provides 1-on-1 service to customers from the entire online buying process.
Michelle Newbery, the company’s president who joined in 2011 after working at Lowe’s for five years, told GeekWire that the service “provides hyper-personalized customer care by helping every shopper through the entire design journey, from selecting the right pieces to scheduling professional assembly and installation.”
The Mine already offers something similar to its commercial customers with Pro Services.
The Mine also now utilizes 3D-imaging technology for close-up views of product images. It partnered with Lowe’s Innovation Labs on the feature, which Newbery called “the smoothest 360-product view possible on our website.”
“We’re transforming a brick-and-mortar industry by offering more flexibility, convenience and confidence in the purchasing of, and services for, home furnishings,” she added.
Newbery said a lot of premium home furnishing brands tend to shy away from selling products online because they think it diminishes their exclusivity and sophistication.
“We’re changing that,” she said.
ATGStores.com originally launched in 1999 — Seattle angel investor Gary Rubens is a co-founder — and grew to more than 500 websites by the time Lowe’s acquired the company in 2011. The company, which operates independently of Lowe’s, also has a pop-up physical Pacific Place location in downtown Seattle.
Its Kirkland headquarters is also adjacent to Lowe’s Innovation Labs, one of the corporation’s engineering offices that opened in 2013.
“The Mine complements the Lowe’s brand, and the partnership allows us to tap into Lowe’s resources in a strategic way,” Newbery said. “Through this relationship, we have a great foundation of support and can focus on growth and expansion.”
