Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
By Daniel Kurash
You have heard the talk before: “The new product just arrived and we have to let our customers know about it with every transaction,” says a manager or colleague tasked with promoting the new items. Yet you know at the store level, when it’s busy and customers are waiting, you don’t always have the time or your customers’ patience to add any additional discourse to an already busy environment. Thankfully, QR codes can help.
Though QR codes, which stands for a “Quick Response Code,” have been mainstreamed for years across many industries —menus for restaurants, coupons for mechanics, BOGO’s for retail businesses, etc.— they can serve as a simple yet effective solution regarding information sharing in the independent hardware and paint channel.
According to the Product Content Benchmark report dated December 2024, 64% of consumers have scanned a QR code in-store, pointing to a trend with technology amongst consumers. With its benefit of conveniently providing quick support information, QR codes serve the independent home improvement space in sales, product launches and seasonal needs. Product details and specific facts are often desired for items such as power tools, types of paint or garden items, so having additional details available helps customers make an informed decision.
Here are four convenient tips on how you can utilize them in your business:
POS Brochures
The point-of-sale counter is a place where waiting happens. Whether it’s a gallon of paint that needs shaking or a key that needs cutting, that precious time is an opportunity to pass out a brochure with a QR code featuring pertinent information. It doesn’t have to be overly fancy, just informative.
End Caps and Merchandising
Use your established merchandising display to feature a QR code about that group of items and target the information to its key benefits. By including product facts from the company’s main website, you can ensure you have the correct information.
Leave a Review
Establish an area encouraging customers to leave reviews. Allowing customers to voice their opinions shows positive transparency and a sense of reciprocation.
Paint Color Assistant
Place one code near the color wall for a convenient way to link to online color design assistance to help customers get inspired with their target colors.
Home improvement problems must be solved quickly, so these tactics pay consideration to your customers time, especially during peak seasons, and provides a way to get the information they need.
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Daniel Kurash is a Store Manager for JC Licht, the Midwest’s largest retailer of Benjamin Moore paint and a leader in high-quality wallpaper and window treatments. He has a degree in Print Journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and has worked in the newspaper and public relations industries. He lives in Illinois with his wife and children.
