The nation's third largest chain, Wisconsin-based Menards, has already established a strong network of 19 stores in the Twin Cities, and Home Valu, although a smaller player, was also able to withstand the incursion of Home Depot, which has built a network of 19 stores in the Twin Cities over the last several years. Not so lucky were Builders Square, Knox Lumber and Budget Power, all of which closed their stores here.

The arrival of Lowe's will further crowd the home improvement arena and force larger players like Menards and smaller entities like Home Valu to once again assert their places in the market. Retail observers expect Lowe's to open several other stores here--among the 300 stores across the nation it says it will add over the next two years.

Here's how the players stack up: • Menards, a privately owned company with 185 stores in 10 states, has annual sales of about $5 billion, according to industry experts. The chain is already renovating some of its stores and enlarging its concept--some of its newer stores are 200,000 sf.