Lowe's Inc., the Mooresville-based home improvement chain, is offering buyouts to corporate staff, as the retailer slows store openings, cuts costs and focuses on the digital aspects of its business.

The buyout offer - known as a "voluntary separation program" - applies to corporate staff members at the company's offices in Mooresville and Wilkesboro.

Lowe's gave buyout notices to eligible employees on Monday. Employees who take the buyout will receive a lump-sum payment, based on how long they've been with the company.

A letter sent to employees Friday by Maureen Ausura, the company's executive vice president for human resources, said the company is in the midst of reviewing its operations to "streamline processes, clarify decision rights, understand the cost to serve and identify cost-savings opportunities."

Ausura also said the company is restructuring the way it provides bonuses to "reward teamwork and collaboration." Lowe's is eliminating commissions for most sales positions in stores, Ausura said.

Spokeswoman Julie Yenichek said the savings from commissions will be passed along to customers, allowing Lowe's to maintain an "everyday low price" strategy, instead of discounts and promotions.

There are some two dozen Lowe's stores in the Charlotte region.

The company did not specify how many employees it hopes will take the buyout, but Yenichek said "the majority" of corporate employees are eligible. Lowe's is one of the largest employers in the Charlotte region, with about 5,200 employees working at the Mooresville and Wilkesboro locations.

Layoffs could follow if the buyout is not sufficient, Ausura's letter said.

Lowe's has seen its earnings fall for three straight quarters, and its performance has lagged that of chief rival Home Depot. In Lowe's most recent quarter, the company's profit fell to $225 million, down from $404 million in the same quarter a year ago. Lowe's reports its fourth quarter and full-year earnings on Feb. 27.

The company has already eliminated about one manager in each of its 1,725 stores to cut costs. The company also announced last year that it was closing 20 underperforming stores, resulting in nearly 2,000 job cuts, and cutting the number of stores it plans to open by half over the coming years.

Yenichek said the reductions in staff at corporate are necessary to adjust to new business realities. "We built the corporate infrastructure to support when we were opening 100-plus stores a year," she said. Lowe's is reallocating resources to fund programs that will help build its future in a world where brick-and-mortar stores coexist with online, mobile and other kinds of retail.

Lowe's has invested in digital business in the midst of the cost-cutting. Last year, Lowe's announced it was sending 42,000 iPhones to in-store associates, allowing them to track inventory and respond to customer questions without use of a computer terminal. Lowe's is pushing its MyLowe's online service, which allows customers to track their purchases and look up projects. Late last year the company purchased ATG Stores, an online home improvement store based in Washington.

Lowe's stock finished up about 1 percent, or 30 cents, on Monday, to close at $27.39 a share.