LOW vs MAR Comparison

Lowe's is the second-largest home improvement retailer globally, with more than 1,750 stores in the US, after the 2023 divestiture of its Canadian locations. The firm's stores offer products and services for home decorating, maintenance, repair, and remodeling, with maintenance and repair accounting for two-thirds of products sold. Lowe's primarily targets retail do-it-yourself (around 70% of sales) and do-it-for-me customers, but has expanded its professional business clients to 30% from less than 20% in the past seven years (set to expand further with the acquisition of FBM). We estimate Lowe's captures a high-single-digit share of the domestic home improvement market, based on US Census data and management's market size estimates.

Marriott operates 1.8 million rooms across roughly 30 brands. At the end of 2025, luxury represented roughly 10% of total rooms, premium was 42%, select service was 46%, and midscale was 2%. Marriott, Courtyard, and Sheraton are the largest brands, while Autograph, Tribute, Moxy, Aloft, and Element are newer lifestyle brands. Managed and franchised represented 99% of total rooms as of Dec. 31, 2025. North America makes up 61% of total rooms. Managed, franchise, and incentive fees represent the vast majority of revenue and profitability for the company.