Posts Tagged ‘retail trends’

2D Codes Are Making an Impact

Thursday, June 30th, 2011
Hyde Tools showed QR Codes at its booth in the PDRA Paint & Accessories Section of the National Hardware Show® in Las Vegas.

Hyde Tools showed QR Codes at its booth in the PDRA Paint & Accessories Section of the National Hardware Show® in Las Vegas.

Posted by: Diane Capuano

Have you noticed 2D codes cropping up all over like corn in the middle of Illinois? I’ve personally seen them on product labels, in print ads, on direct mail pieces, on business cards, on trade show booths, on taxi cab advertising and on real estate “for sale” signs. Some people even are putting codes on T-shirts!

2D codes are small squares of multi-directional data that can be scanned by a mobile phone app, which immediately takes you to a website or online video for more information about a product or service. Most of the content is informative or instructional in the form of more detailed product descriptions or a how-to demonstration, but it can also be promotional (enter a contest, receive a discount). I’ve even read that this could be a great solution to giving customers quick access to Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). (more…)

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Using Technology for Color Selection

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

The Color Capture app from Benjamin Moore

The Color Capture app from Benjamin Moore

Posted by: Diane Capuano

Just like other aspects of modern life, selecting the right colors for a home’s décor has “gone digital.” Those in the business of selling color for the home—and this includes paint and decorating retail outlets, interior designers and decorators, painting contractors, decorative painters and others—should be up to speed on the technological resources that are currently at their disposal.

Ray Gomez, Director of Color Marketing at Benjamin Moore, referred to 2011 as the “year of color in a digital space.” This is certainly a major focus at Benjamin Moore. Explained Gomez: “We’re not only leveraging BenjaminMoore.com, but also Facebook and Twitter and mobile phone apps. We’re thinking more digitally because that’s where consumers are.”

One of Benjamin Moore’s newest digital tools is the Color Gallery, available on BenjaminMoore.com, which showcases 1,008 colors. (more…)

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PDRA Announces Top-of-Line Retailers

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010
AwardsPosted by: Diane Capuano

PDRA presented the 2009 Top-of-the-Line Retailer Awards in Las Vegas on Wednesday, May 5. PDRA Executive Vice President Dan Simon made the presentation at the PDRA Show, part of the National Hardware Show, which is taking place this week May 4-6 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. A photo of the winners accompanies, taken at the PDRA Booth, is shown at right. Each winner received a plaque as well as a trip to the National Hardware Show to accept their awards in person. (more…)

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Future Fair Opens to SRO Crowds

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
Kit-retouched for websitePosted by: Diane Capuano

The crowd at the PDRA Show at the National Hardware Show had its eyes squarely on the future, thanks to a trio of presentations from renowned speakers in the areas of retail trends, demographics and consumer marketing. Presentations drew standing-room-only audiences at the Future Fair Stage, located on the floor of the trade show (shown at right).

Speaker Doug Stephens of Retail Prophet Consulting told the audience about how to attract the post-crisis consumer. He observed that what all of these consumers are looking for is value, and those retailers who provide it will be in a better position than those who don’t. There is no such thing as an average consumer, (more…)

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