The holiday hustle and bustle is finally here and increasingly mobile devices are playing a key role in consumers’ shopping. According to IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark, the percentage of consumers using mobile devices to visit retailer websites over Thanksgiving and Black Friday rose from 18% in 2011 to 28% in 2012. Since QR Codes are an important part of mobile engagement, many companies are finding creative ways to leverage QR Codes into their holiday campaigns. QR Codes can help make holiday shopping more efficient and convenient by allowing customers to shop on the spot with just a quick scan. In addition, offering coupons and access to free loyalty programs can drive more business. This is also a great way to effectively market new products for the season.
This review is on a QR Code in the retail industry. The advertisement was found on a tri-fold holiday mailer sent directly to homes. Now that the holidays are in full swing, this QR Code is here to better the gift shopping experience.
The Description
Kohl’s is a large department store offering a wide variety of products to its customers at great prices. At Kohl’s, selections range from home items to jewelry and toys to shoes. In addition, customers can shop special selections for teens and sports fan-wear. Couples can also find name brands for their wedding registry here. With the holidays around the corner, Kohl’s is using the QR Code in this particular mailer to easily connect buyers to their one stop shop.
The 3-quarter-inch black and white code is scannable by Android Phone, Blackberry, iPhone, and Windows Phone. The QR Code is located inside the tri-fold mailer, in the middle of the right page on the left hand side. Right above the code is a call to action- “scan & shop now.” Once the code is scanned, users are taken to a mobile optimized site exclusively for the Narciso Rodriguez Collection only available at Kohl’s. The following information is included:
- Video showing the collection and its inspiration
- Ability to shop for 65 items from the Narciso Rodriguez Collection including bottoms, coats, dresses, jackets & blazers, skirts and tops
- A free Kohl’s App for download
- Option to view the site in standard form
Positives
Here is what we like about the QR Code:
1. Ease of Scan
Although placement consideration for a QR Code on a mailer is a little different than our last QR Code on a magazine advertisement, the importance is all the same. Space with mailers can be very limited and sometimes the gloss can be too heavy so as to cause glare. Here, the code is placed a little under an inch away from the fold, with enough white space that no other text or images interfered with the scan. Also, the mailer was not too glossy to cause a glare and inhibit the scan.
2. Mobile Optimized Site
The Kohl’s mobile functioning site puts shopping right at your fingertips. Easy navigation allows users to benefit from the interactive commercial explaining the inspiration behind the clothing collection and provides the ability to purchase items right away. The option to view in standard form, allows users to shop the entire Kohl’s online site.
3. Value of Functionality
After clicking ‘see the collection’, customers are taken to the shopping portion of the site. Items are put into six categories along with a search bar to help customers find what they are looking for in the Narciso Rodriguez Collection. At the top of the screen, there is a shopping bag function that calculates the number of items and total of purchase (without tax and shipping). This makes it easy for customers to steer through the site and make purchases.
QR Code Enhancements
1. Share Options
During the holidays, loved ones are constantly searching for that perfect and unique gift. Providing a share option through different social networking channels is a great way to increase traffic to the site and store. By including sharing buttons on this mobile site, users would be able to upload a photo of items showing friends and followers the great deals they are receiving and how cool their purchases are. Thus, Kohl’s would benefit from word-of-mouth promotion.
2. Missed Opportunity
The Kohl’s mailer shows a variety of different products from Barbie dolls to serveware pieces, although the scan only directs users to shop the Narciso Rodriguez Collection. Here, was a missed opportunity. By adding another option on the mobile site to shop all products on the mailer, users would have the opportunity to purchase something they liked other than the collection. This would make the scan more resourceful and would likely result in additional sales for Kohl’s.
Conclusion
This QR Code provides convenience to the jostle of holiday shopping by enabling consumers to readily shop through Kohl’s mobile optimized site. Strategic placement of the code allows for an easy scan. Adding share options and discount opportunities would engage more users. To further the effectiveness of this QR Code, Kohl’s should consider enabling consumers to shop for all of the products that are offered in the mailer. This would likely amount to more scans, and more sales.
Does your QR Code provide easy shopping to customers?
Tags: Retail Industry, QR Codes, QR Code Workshop
