MOORESVILLE, N.C., Nov. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) and Point Inside, Inc. (www.pointinside.com) today announced that Lowe's has integrated Point Inside's StoreMode™ 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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Using their smart phone and the Lowe's app, the location of an air filter, a circular saw blade, or even a piece of crown moulding is just a search and click away.  In fact all in-stock items' aisle and/or bay locations are represented as pins on an interior map of the specific Lowe's store.  The Lowe's app also provides store-specific product search, prices, inventory availability, detailed product information, customer ratings and reviews, and weekly ads.  In addition, customers can create and manage personalized shopping lists the same way they would on a piece of paper using natural language terms or by scanning product barcodes. 

According to the Google Shopper Marketing Council's "Mobile In-Store Research" study, one in three smartphone shoppers would rather find information using their smartphone than ask a store employee.  However, for those who still prefer a personal interaction, this upgrade will also help Lowe's in-store associates better serve customers, as the 42,000 iPhones used by in-store associates also have access to the search and mapping capability through Lowe's store associate app. 

"Helping customers complete their home improvement projects simply and easily is what Lowe's is all about," said Ronnie Damron, Lowe's senior vice president of multi-channel testing and commercialization. "We're constantly looking for new, innovative ways to use technology to serve our customers better. Whether customers are browsing the store for ideas or searching for a specific item in a hurry, we think the Product Locator feature will simplify the shopping process, creating a better experience that encourages customers to come back again and again."

"We're excited to work closely with Lowe's to help them achieve their goals in reaching customers through new technologies," said Josh Marti, CEO of Point Inside.  "As a retail thought leader, Lowe's quickly understood the benefits of our StoreMode™ platform.  Together, we have delivered a win-win by improving the customer experience."

Lowe's mobile app is available free for iOS and Android devices. For more information about Lowe's mobile app, visit Lowes.com/mobile.

About Lowe's
With fiscal year 2012 sales of $50.5 billion, Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a FORTUNE® 100 company that serves approximately 15 million customers a week at more than 1,825 home improvement and hardware stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe's is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world. For more information, visit Lowes.com.

About Point Inside
Point Inside's StoreMode™platform is an enterprise-grade, cloud-based service that aggregates product information and makes it "searchable", adding the critical context of precise, store-specific location to each item.  The platform, with innovative Product Location Management features, is built to handle the dynamic store-specific needs of the world's largest retailers. Marrying 'what' to 'where' enables shoppers to quickly find what they need at their destinations on their mobile devices.  The StoreMode™ platform bridges the gap between the digital and "brick and mortar" retail experiences, and ensures retailers maximize sales lift with each customer engagement opportunity. 

Related Links
www.lowes.com/mobile

Video with caption: "Lowe's App Product Locator Feature Video". Video available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpVY55axgJc

Image with caption: "Point Inside Logo". Image available at: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131127/MM24186LOGO

SOURCE Lowe's Companies, Inc.