Ten of the stores are closing after selling out inventory. At the rest of the stores employees were called and told Monday was their last day.
The decision came with little warning to the store's employees who are suddenly without jobs.
On Monday morning, Terry Davis showed up for his shift at the Aurora Lowe's. Davis, who is hearing impaired, didn't find out until Monday the store closed for good. Davis said he worked there for five years in the stock room. Now he and 85 other employees here are out of work.
"I dont know why," said Davis.
The announcement came as a surprise to customers as well.
"It's real sad just to see any store or business, small businesses close down but especially these chains. It's a sign of the times of what's happening in this country and our economy," said Ann Winkle.
"We came out here yesterday looking for sheds and grabbed all this stuff out here. People were coming in and out. So I came back, took the day off work today, came back today to talk to somebody and the sign's off the building and nobody's here," said Chris Sutton.
"We did not see a scenario that led to a profitable future for those stores despite the hard work of the employees," said Stacey Lentz, spokesperson, Lowe's.
In Oswego, of the 96 laid off some employees stayed on to close the store. Merchandise and equipment will be taken to other stores.
Doug Zielinski talked with ABC7 during his lunch break. He says he had a feeling the news would be bad when they announced a store meeting on Sunday night. He had been through this before.
"I was at the Elgin store. And four of us came here. Been here almost three months. Thought things were going great and the same thing happened again," said Zielinksi.
In August, the Elgin and Schaumburg Lowe's closed. Nearly 200 local employees were laid off.
Zielinski was glad to find work at another Lowe's the last time, but he worries about what's next.
"It's really sad. Great people work here. They are trying to transfer us, but more and more stores keep closing it's hard to trust if you'll go back to the same company or not," said Zielinski.
Employees will get two months severance pay.
Customers with orders will be contacted by Lowe's about their order. Aurora customers can go to the Lowe's in St. Charles and Oswego customers can go to their Naperville store.
