We shopped at Home Depot and Lowe's to see which store was better — and the winner was clear for one key reason (HD, LOW)

Home Depot and Lowe's have for decades been two top home-improvement stores in the US.

They stock all things home improvement, including kitchen and bath fixtures, lighting, paint, gardening supplies, and tools. Both stores offer same-day delivery, installation services, do-it-yourself workshops, and store credit cards. They even have similar return policies and will accept most things with or without a receipt for cash or store credit.

Lowe's has been in business about 30 years longer than Home Depot. Home Depot has 2,284 stores in North America, while Lowe's has about 2,370.

Lowe's stores also typically have a few more square feet of space than Home Depot stores. But when Business Insider visited New York outposts of both stores, we found that the Home Depot was significantly larger than the Lowe's — by an entire floor.

The target market is a notable difference between the two stores. Home Depot tends to appeal more to professionals — like contractors, interior designers, and plumbers — while Lowe's welcomes a more do-it-yourself crowd.

When visiting the stores, we noticed that Home Depot felt like a massive warehouse, whereas Lowe's was more like a traditional retailer, with floor displays and bright, clear labels.

Here are some of the biggest differences we spotted at a Home Depot and a Lowe's in New York City.

My first stop was a Home Depot store in the Flatiron District.

The store felt like a warehouse, with high ceilings, industrial lighting, and a lot of open space. On the left were small household items like dish soap and cleaning supplies. To the right was the start of the flooring department.

Home Depot's selection was astounding. It had all types of flooring in a huge variety of styles and patterns, and there were a few employees in each department to help.

The main floor had seemingly endless aisles of appliances and fixtures ...

... lighting displays ...

... and even a small clearance section.

The second floor had model kitchens and bathrooms.

There were also consultation centers on this floor for customers to get assistance in designing their homes.

The basement level of the store had a gardening department, which sells plants, seeds, flowers, tools, soil, and fertilizer.

The level also had a continuation of the cleaning-supply aisle on the main floor ...

... craft supplies ...

... and tons of paint and paint chips.

Many things in the store were not labeled. There was a directory, and plenty of experts were around to help, but the store was clearly aimed more at home-improvement industry professionals. If you don't know the exact nail or bolt you're looking for, it could be challenging to find it on your own.

That said, there were plenty of services for non-professionals, such as workshops where customers can learn how to do things like stain a patio.

There were price-check scanners available throughout the store. For most items, Home Depot's and Lowe's prices were comparable.

There were also signs detailing the special financing plans for shoppers using a store credit card.

Home Depot has a price-match initiative. Signs around the store explained that if shoppers find a product for less elsewhere, Home Depot will beat that price by 10%.

This store offers same-day delivery anywhere in Manhattan, starting at $21. Other Home Depot locations also do this, with prices varying based on the order size.

The customer-service area was near the checkout and self-checkout aisles, which seemed to be moving pretty quickly. Home Depot's return policy is generous, allowing a full refund for most items if you bring the receipt and store credit if you don't. Home Depot also offers online returns and in-store pickup for online orders.

The store felt geared toward professionals, but it seemed to have everything you would need for a home-improvement project, and all the employees were extremely helpful. Design consultations, price matching, and a lenient return policy add to the appeal.

Next, I went to Lowe's, just around the corner from Home Depot.

The garden department was the first thing I saw, and it was significantly smaller than the one at Home Depot.

Something I noticed immediately was that Lowe's seemed geared more toward people who aren't necessarily professionals. There was much more assistance for DIY projects, and everything was very clearly labeled.

In general, however, the store was underwhelming compared with Home Depot.

There seemed to be less of everything at Lowe's, in every department, from lighting ...

... to tools ...

... to paint.

On the second level, there were model kitchens and bathrooms ...

... lighting fixtures ...

... and flooring. The store felt less industrial than Home Depot, and its products were certainly labeled better.

Like at Home Depot, there was a design-consultation center.

Lowe's also had a store-card financing plan similar to Home Depot's ...

... and it matched the same-day-delivery price. The two stores' return policies were the same, and Lowe's also offered a 10% price-match guarantee.

Lowe's also offers workshops and in-store pickup for online orders. Though many of the benefits at the two stores were the same — like same-day delivery and special financing offers — Home Depot had a much better selection of products.