St. Charles Lowe's Home Improvement store will remain open

ST. CHARLES – The Lowe's Home Improvement store at 955 Randall Road in St. Charles will remain open in the face of plans by the hardware chain to close 20 underperforming stores across the country.

Two Illinois stores in Granite City and Gurnee are among the stores that will close. The stores are expected to close by Feb. 1, 2019.

"While decisions that impact our associates are never easy, the store closures are a necessary step in our strategic reassessment as we focus on building a stronger business," Marvin Ellison, Lowe's president and CEO, said in a Nov. 5 news release from Lowe's. "We believe our people are the foundation of our business and essential to our future growth, and we are making every effort to transition impacted associates to nearby Lowe's stores."

Most associates at the stores that are closing will be extended opportunities to transition to a similar role at a nearby Lowe's store, the release stated.