After running a three-store pilot approximately one year ago, home improvement and appliance chain Lowe’s has announced news it will partner with software-powered electronics retailer b8ta to launch its “Smart Home powered by b8ta” connected-home shopping experience. The collaboration will be available in 70 Lowe’s storefronts nationwide.
Envisioned as stores-within-stores, the Smart Home shop is intended as a destination shop for gadget-enthused customers looking for ways to smarten up their home devices. The shops will each feature a curated collection of smart home products and offer onsite technical support from trained experts known as “b8ta testers.”
“Consumers aspire to live a connected life and crave solutions that make this possible,” said Ruth Crowley, vice president of customer experience design at Lowe’s. “Smart home products simplify life — but the technology can sometimes be confusing or intimidating. So, we developed Smart Home powered by b8ta to emulate a ‘lab-like’ atmosphere that empowers customers to make informed decisions.”
By using b8ta’s dashboard and analytics, the smart product mini-shops will also feature varying product displays and content based on real-time customer insights — all with the aim of delivering a more tailored and relevant experience for shoppers. Consumers will get to work with 60 smart home products in a “fully immersive format.”
According to a Lowe’s blog post on the subject, the Smart Home shops will include thermostats, cameras, lighting, speakers and more from brands like Google, Sonos, GE, Nest, Iris, Samsung and Ring.
“b8ta makes shopping for connected home products accessible and easy,” said Phillip Raub, co-founder and chief brand officer of b8ta. “Nationwide, consumers will have the opportunity to engage and demo a curated selection of connected products, with knowledgeable product experts on-hand to [help] navigate consumers through their journey.”
In addition to the 70 store-within-a-store format shops, 1,000 Lowe’s locations rolled out specialized smart home displays featuring products primed for Black Friday shopping and the holiday gifting season.
Smart Home powered by b8ta is available in select major U.S. markets, including New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia, Boston, Miami, Tampa, Raleigh, Charlotte and Washington, D.C.
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