Lowe’s folding The Mine into Lowes.com

KIRKLAND, Wash. — The Mine, formerly ATGStores.com, is being folded into the main website for parent company Lowe’s.

Jackie Pardini Hartzell, director of public relations for Mooresville, N.C.-based home improvement retailer, did not say how many jobs at the Kirkland, Wash., operation were eliminated in the move or whether The Mine President Michelle Newbery remained with the company. The division employed more than 350 people as of early 2017.

Lowe’s acquired ATGStores in December 2011, which was then a series of product-specific e-commerce websites. It consolidated the business down to a single banner in 2014 and more recently began repositioning the brand to feature more upscale goods as well as to serve as a one-stop shop not only for home goods, but installation, design and other services offered via partner companies. The name changed to The Mine in early 2017.

“Last week, we announced we will transition The Mine from a standalone website to a fully integrated section of Lowes.com to further reach customers with new and differentiated product offerings as part of our enhanced digital experience,” Pardini Hartzell said in an email.

Some employees from The Mine will transition to support Lowes.com while others will continue to support Lowe’s Canadian website from Kirkland. For the employees losing jobs, Lowe’s is providing “transition support,” she said, including severance and outplacement services. They also are eligible to apply for open positions at Lowe’s.

“While decisions that affect people are never easy, sometimes they are necessary so we can more effectively and efficiently invest in the strategic areas that will help us meet the evolving needs of customers,” Pardini Hartzell said.

The company will add positions in Kirkland over time as it identifies opportunities to grow its digital operations, she said.

“Lowe’s is committed to delivering the best omnichannel experiences whenever and wherever customers choose to engage with us,” she said.

Late last week, The Seattle Times reported that laid-off employees had contact the paper to say hundreds of people were laid off at the Kirkland, Wash., operation. Hartzell told the paper “to say several hundred people were impacted is very inaccurate.”