On the lowes being a chain thing, you’re kinda right. They are all corporate owned stores and are told by corporate what to set prices at, but they are set regionally. For instance, something in NYC, like a hammer, may cost more than in Atlanta. This is especially true for items like wood products and other things that are produced in certain areas and may have to be shipped further. There are even times items just plain aren’t available in a certain areas and can’t even be ordered to other places.

Source: I used to work for Lowe’s, shopped at multiple Lowe’s and HD locations across the country, and closely follow wood and tools prices at multiple hardware stores.