Augmented reality project planning experience is first concept from newly-formed Lowe’s Innovation Labs
MOORESVILLE, N.C., 2014-6-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today, Lowe’s underscored its commitment to advancing retail innovation as it introduced Lowe’s Innovation Labs and the first concept to come out of the lab, the Lowe’s Holoroom. Lowe’s created Lowe’s Innovation Labs to build new technology to solve common consumer frustrations while working alongside start-ups, universities, specialized professionals and other companies.
“We know that for many homeowners, the struggle to visualize a completed home improvement project or to share that vision with others can stop a project in its tracks,” said Kyle Nel, executive director of Lowe’s Innovation Labs. “The Holoroom is our solution, enabling consumers to visualize their project and share that vision with family and friends.”
The Lowe’s Holoroom is a home improvement simulator which applies 3-D and augmented reality technologies to provide homeowners an intuitive, immersive experience in the room of their dreams.
A customer will begin by choosing their preferred products before viewing and experiencing those products in the Holoroom. While in the Holoroom, they can make changes to the room design or finalize their plan with confidence. A take-home printout will allow customers to view a 3-D model of their room at home, and share the model with family and friends, by downloading a free app available on iOS or Droid devices.
“Lowe’s wants to lead innovation by developing disruptive technologies that will help us establish a long-term competitive advantage,” said Nel. “Lowe’s Innovation Labs will allow us to quickly bring in new technology and new partners, explore a wide range of possibilities and identify opportunities to develop concepts like the Holoroom.”
The Lab is on the forefront of bringing together unexpected partners to imagine the seemingly impossible and breathe life into solutions that create new experiences for consumers through technology, such as the Lowe’s Holoroom. SciFutures, a foresight and innovation consultancy, partnered with Lowe’s during the development of the Holoroom and is one example of the uncommon partnerships Lowe’s is cultivating.
“We use the power of science fiction narratives to predict future possibilities and explain complex technologies in a way everyone can understand,” said Ari Popper, founder and co-CEO of SciFutures. “Using this science fiction prototyping process we collaborated with Lowe’s to see the world could look like, and their determination to bring that vision to life led to the Holoroom.”
The Lowe’s Holoroom will be introduced in select Toronto stores in 2014, and equipped with thousands of products to help customers plan a bathroom remodel. Additional product categories and rooms will be added to the Holoroom to help plan projects throughout the home over the next 12 to 18 months. Lowe’s Innovation Labs will share updates on the Lowe’s Holoroom as well as future initiatives on Twitter at twitter.com/loweslabs.
About Lowe’s
Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 100 home improvement company serving approximately 15 million customers a week in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With fiscal year 2013 sales of $53.4 billion, Lowe’s has more than 1,830 home improvement and hardware stores and 260,000 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.
Contact:
Amanda Manna
Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
(704) 758-2184
amanda.d.manna@lowes.com
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