Home Depot rolls out Scanbuy QR codes nationwide

Home improvement retail chain Home Depot is teaming with mobile barcode solutions provider Scanbuy to launch a new QR code initiative spanning across more than 2,200 U.S. stores. Introduced this week in conjunction with a print ad promoting the Martha Stewart Living kitchens brand, the Home Depot campaign incorporates 2D barcodes to give consumers mobile access to product ratings and reviews, How-To guides and product-specific videos.

In addition to print advertising, Home Depot will include the Scanbuy codes in its direct mail efforts and will also roll out unique codes to store shelves, signage and other marketing materials. Shoppers may also purchase items via mobile device both in and out of stores.

Consumers can download Scanbuy's ScanLife application at Homedepot.com/scan or they can text HDscan to 43588. Estimates indicate that roughly 25 million U.S. consumers own mobile phones integrating barcode scanning technology.

More than half of consumers scanned mobile barcodes over the 2010 holiday season, with 57 percent of them scanning a barcode at least once and 40 percent scanning five or more times, according to a Scanbuy survey conducted late last year. The study--conducted over Facebook and Twitter--found that 97 percent of all consumers find mobile barcodes useful in some capacity, with only 3 percent finding them "not very useful." Price comparison is the most popular feature during shopping trips, followed by user reviews and specific product offers. Other consumers stated a preference for accessing product information without finding a sales clerk. 

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