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Lowe’s recently launched a program called The UpSkill Project that trains consumers on the skills they need to complete DIY home improvement projects, the company reports.
The program will send Lowe’s employees to 40 communities in the U.S. to teach nearly 200 consumers the skills they need to complete various home improvement tasks through late October. According to Lowe’s, the communities and the consumers were selected from videos consumers submitted detailing the skills they wanted to learn to complete specific projects in their homes.
“Lowe’s is committed to putting our purpose of helping people love where they live into practice,” says Ruth Crowley, vice president of customer experience design at Lowe’s. “While consumers may lack home improvement knowledge and confidence, we know they have a strong desire to learn—and we have a strong desire to help. What better way than to tap our knowledgeable Lowe’s associates to empower customers with the skills and confidence to transform their homes, and together, create a community of confident DIYers nationwide.”
According to Lowe’s, “attitudes toward DIY are changing as new and existing generations cite a decline in confidence to complete home projects.” As an independent retailer, you have an advantage over national chains to connect with your customers and build their confidence. Find out what projects your customers want to take on and use this information to lead workshops, tutorials and in-store events to help them recognize that you can be their local home improvement expert for all their DIY initiatives.
In addition to building your customers’ confidence in their DIY skills, encouraging them to shop at local stores instead of big-box stores supports your local economy. According to research conducted by the North American Retail Hardware Association and Independent We Stand, twice as much money remains in the local economy when consumers and pros shop at an independent home improvement retailer than if they spent the same amount at a national retailer.
