Lowe’s Sees Future in Holograms

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Lowe'sLowe’s Companies Inc. is expanding its use of augmented and virtual reality to help customers truly “visualize” home improvement projects.

Lowe’s is partnering with Microsoft to let shoppers use Microsoft HoloLens  augmented reality headsets to view 3-D representations of kitchen remodel design elements in empty in-store showrooms. In select pilot stores, HoloLens lets customers visualize realistic, scale-size, interactive holograms of options for kitchen cabinetry, countertops, appliances and features like backsplashes. Customers can also instantly adjust finishes and options, as well as share design ideas online. A miniature hologram kitchen allows for a bird’s eye perspective of the project.

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Lowe’s CEO: Our transformation is gaining momentum

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Lowe’s CEO Robert Niblock cited the recovering U.S. economy as among the reasons why the company plans to focus more on market differentiation and omnichannel retailing.

The company said it will outline these and other strategic priorities in a meeting with investors on Dec. 11 in North Carolina.

“We’re at a great point in our company’s evolution. The housing market and broader economy are recovering just as our transformation is gaining momentum,” Niblock said. “We’re building on our past success and finding new ways to serve and connect with customers.”

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At Orchard Supply, two robots hit the floor

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Lowe’s Innovation Labs will introduce two autonomous retail service robots in an Orchard Supply Hardware store in midtown San Jose, California, during the upcoming holiday season to study how robotics technology can benefit customers and employees. Called OSHbot, the robots will assist customers to navigate stores by directing them to specific products and providing real-time information about product promotions and inventory.

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Home Depot, Lowe’s Bring the Internet of Things to DIYers

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Home improvement stores, destinations for the do-it-yourself consumer, have long sold the hammers, nails and tools people need to fix up their houses.

Now large chains such as Home Depot and Lowe’s are selling virtual tools — sensors, Wi-Fi enabled appliances and software — to help those customers monitor and control their homes from their smartphones.

It’s an attempt to tap into the Internet of Things — technologists’ term for a network of connected sensors, devices and objects. In its early stages, the Internet of Things attracted tech companies such as Nest, the connected-thermostat manufacturer bought by Google in January for $3.2 billion, and Smart­Things, a District-based start-up selling home automation kits.

 

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Lowe’s channels science fiction in new Holoroom

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The home improvement store announced Wednesday that it has built a “holoroom,” which uses 3-D technology and augmented reality to allow users to “walk” through a floor plan of their home (or dream house). In the 20-foot by 20-foot specially designed room, customers can move anything from furniture to toilets and swap out floors and paint colors with the swipe of a finger on an iPad.

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Lowe’s partners with Porch.com

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Lowe’s continues to enter the tech world with a recent partnership with Porch.com, a four-month-old startup that aggregates data about home improvement projects all around the US. Porch.com will be in the hands of Lowe’s employees in 139 stores in the Seattle, North Carolina, and South Carolina area.

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Lowe’s sees Iris as a future growth catalyst

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Lowe’s might not often be thought of as an innovative company. Most consumers see it as a place to go for home improvements, especially if a Lowe’s location is more convenient than a Home Depot location.

Lowe’s and Home Depot might be competitors, but they’re both likely to be long-term winners, and they’re both more innovative than most people realize. There are many different innovative avenues to explore for Lowe’s and Home Depot, but this article will primarily focus on Lowe’s Iris system, which rolled out in 2012 with 40 home-automated products.

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Lowe’s unveils latest features in Iris Smart Home Solutions at CES

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New Iris products and services will include a water shut-off valve that cuts supply when a leak is detected, a voice control feature,smart sprinkler systems, smart meter add-ons, universal garage door openers, additional energy saving devices and more.

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Lowe’s Introduces Product Locator

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MOORESVILLE, N.C., Nov. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Lowe’s Companies, Inc. LOW -0.04% and Point Inside, Inc. (www.pointinside.com) today announced that Lowe’s has integrated Point Inside’s StoreMode(TM) mobile shopper engagement platform into the Lowe’s mobile app to improve the in-store customer experience. Shoppers at all Lowe’s locations can use the Product Locator capability to search for products and instantly see the items’ locations on a detailed store map using Lowe’s iOS and Android mobile apps or Lowe’s mobile-optimized website.

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Lowe’s realigns senior leadership team

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Lowe’s has announced a realignment of its leadership team to “more sharply focus the company on strategies to create and deliver seamless customer experiences.” Seamless retail across the brick and mortar and digital channels is a major focus of the retailer’s strategy.

The retailer moved its executives into two teams: the Customer Experience organization, which will create customer experiences to differentiate Lowe’s from competitors, and the Operations organization, focused on delivering the customer experience.

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