Lowe's Hands CMO Jen Wilson Digital Commerce as the CMO Role Keeps Expanding
TL;DR: Lowe's has added Lowes.com and its Marketplace to CMO Jen Wilson's portfolio, folding e-commerce into a role already covering marketing, retail media, loyalty and personalization.
The 'Super-CMO' Grows Again
Lowe's expanded Jen Wilson's remit, reported on 15 September 2026, so that the EVP and CMO now oversees digital commerce — Lowes.com and its Marketplace — alongside marketing, retail media, loyalty and personalization.
A 20-year Lowe's veteran appointed CMO in June 2024, Wilson now holds one of the broadest marketing mandates in US retail.
Why Commerce and Marketing Are Merging
The logic is in the numbers. Lowe's online sales grew 15.7% in the second quarter of 2026, against comparable-sales growth of just 0.2% — digital is where the growth is. Wilson notes that more than 80% of home-improvement shopping now starts online.
When the customer journey begins on a screen, the line between 'marketing' and 'the store' effectively disappears, and someone has to own both.
A Pattern, Not an Exception
Lowe's follows a run of retailers handing CMOs commerce and customer-experience responsibility as they chase unified, personalized omnichannel journeys. The CMO title increasingly comes with a P&L attached.
That raises the stakes for the role: broader mandate, but also nowhere to hide when the numbers are marketing's to move.
Marketing Minute's Take
The super-CMO is a vote of confidence and a loaded gun. Owning commerce means marketing is finally judged on revenue, not just brand metrics — which is what CMOs have long asked for. The winners will be leaders fluent in both storytelling and conversion; the role no longer forgives a gap in either.
Quick FAQ
What is Jen Wilson's expanded role at Lowe's?
As EVP and CMO she now oversees digital commerce — Lowes.com and its Marketplace — in addition to marketing, retail media, loyalty and personalization.
Why is Lowe's merging marketing and e-commerce?
Online sales grew 15.7% in Q2 2026 versus 0.2% comparable-sales growth, and more than 80% of home-improvement shopping now starts online, blurring the line between marketing and commerce.
Is the expanded CMO role a wider trend?
Yes — retailers are increasingly giving CMOs commerce and customer-experience responsibility to deliver unified, personalized omnichannel journeys.
The super-CMO is a promotion and a stress test in one. Owning commerce means marketing is finally measured on revenue, which is exactly what the discipline has been demanding for a decade. The catch: you now need to be fluent in both story and conversion. The role no longer forgives a weakness in either. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
The takeaway: as CMOs absorb commerce, marketing is judged on revenue — the winning leaders are fluent in both brand storytelling and conversion.
Is your marketing leadership built to own conversion as well as brand?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Marketing Dive, Retail Dive.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
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