QR codes boost sales at the shelf edge
The square block shape of QR codes are increasingly appearing on all kinds of marketing materials.
From printed catalogues to Coke cans, the codes give access to more product information or special offers. Waitrose have used them so that customers can get details of Heston’s recipes.
Pierhouse, who produce in-store signage management software, have just announced the capability to automatically create unique QR codes for tens of thousands of products, so now QR codes can also be used where most buying decisions are made, at the shelf edge.
The Pierhouse application, appropriately named Infinite Shelf Edge™, creates thousands of QR codes in minutes and most importantly links those QR codes to all of the detailed information required to produce price tickets and special offer information in-store. This is achieved by linking Infinite Shelf Edge™ to their Strategic Signage Management solution NetTickIT.
To scan a QR code customers need a Smartphone and according to Vittorio Colao, CEO of Vodafone the UK has the highest penetration of Smartphones in the world. He also said that 28% of his customers use a Smartphone today and 45% of new customers buy a Smartphone. Research shows that over 30% of Smartphone users seem very happy to scan a QR code if they can get additional useful information to make a buying decision.
When a customer scans a unique QR code on a price ticket they can get access to more technical information, product reviews, special offers, recipes, linked products or anything else that the Retailer chooses. The main benefits for Retailers are that fewer customers will leave their store without making a purchase and customer service will be improved.
Malcolm Wicks, the Marketing Director at Pierhouse, pointed out that Infinite Shelf Edge™ can create new QR codes for an entire estate in minutes and even create individual codes for the same product in different stores to identify where scans are made. The linkage to loyalty schemes creates some interesting possibilities too. QR codes created with Infinite Shelf Edge™ will be a valuable tool to improve customer experience and get customers to buy more while in-store and several major retailers are already in discussion with Pierhouse about how they can capitalise on Infinite Shelf Edge™.
