MOORESVILLE, N.C., Nov. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Lowe's Companies,
Inc. (NYSE: LOW) customers in select markets can now shop a unique
store-within-a-store concept to explore connected devices to better
manage their homes. The "SmartSpot powered by b8ta" retail
experience, an innovative collaboration with software-powered
retailer b8ta, demystifies and simplifies the purchasing process
for customers.
SmartSpot helps eliminate anxiety for customers choosing smart
home products in an overwhelmingly crowded market. The stylized
experience offers a streamlined approach to retail where customers
can explore a curated collection of innovative products. In
addition, consumers gain in-depth product knowledge through digital
displays and on-site experts trained on smart home products.
"Customers depend on Lowe's to guide and enable them when making
important decisions about their home," said Ruth Crowley, vice president of Customer
Experience Design at Lowe's. "We know through research that
customers feel overwhelmed when choosing the right smart home
devices, and often evaluate products for more than two months
before making a purchase. Our partnership with b8ta allows us to
give customers confidence in making well informed decisions by
narrowing the product assortment and providing education to help
them take that first step."
SmartSpot offers whole-home solutions, moving customers beyond
products to projects. The experience includes a wide range of smart
home products, from security to energy maintenance and convenience,
all organized in a central location. SmartSpot features several
Lowe's Iris products and more than 40 of the newest tech products
on the market from vendors like Amazon, Lutron, Nest and Ring.
"b8ta is excited to provide manufacturers the ability to easily
on-board their products into Lowe's stores with our software
platform, offering unprecedented access to product performance and
customer insights," said Phillip
Raub, co-founder and CMO of b8ta. "By making retail more
accessible to manufacturers, customers at Lowe's will be able to
engage with a wider and more relevant assortment of smart home
products than ever before."
SmartSpot features b8ta's proprietary retail technology which
provides deep insights for vendors and retailers, helping them to
continuously improve the shopping experience. Vendors have the
ability to adjust their in-store displays remotely and capture
valuable information about customer interactions with featured
products and content, all in real-time. These innovations are
transforming traditional retail models by putting more control in
the hands of shoppers, vendors and retailers.
SmartSpot is an evolution of Lowe's ongoing efforts to deliver
customer driven solutions in the smart home category – beginning in
2012 with the exclusive launch of the Nest thermostat at Lowe's,
followed by the launch of Iris by Lowe's, the company's smart
home management platform.
"SmartSpot powered by b8ta" is available at Lowe's Livermore, Burbank and Aliso
Viejo store locations. Customers everywhere can shop Lowe's
enhanced smart home online experience, featuring a curated
selection of products and more inspiring, solution-oriented
content.
ABOUT LOWE'S
Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a
FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving more than
17 million customers a week in the United
States, Canada and
Mexico. With fiscal year 2015 sales of $59.1 billion, Lowe's and its related businesses
operate or service more than 2,355 home improvement and hardware
stores and employ over 285,000 employees. Founded in 1946 and based
in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe's
supports the communities it serves through programs that focus on
K-12 public education and community improvement projects. For more
information, visit Lowes.com.
ABOUT b8ta
b8ta, a software-powered retailer designed
to make physical retail accessible for all, was founded in 2015 by
Nest alums Vibhu Norby (CEO),
William Mintun (COO), and
Phillip Raub (CMO). b8ta helps
people discover, try, and learn about new tech products while
empowering makers with a simple retail-as-a-service model that puts
them in control. b8ta has locations in Palo Alto, Santa
Monica, and Seattle. The
company is headquartered in San
Francisco.
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SOURCE Lowe's Companies, Inc.