Technology
Lowe’s leveraging data, audio ads to deliver personal in-store shopping experience
Lowe’s is leveraging Vibenomics’ in-store digital technology to deliver brand-led messages to DIY customers and Pro customers.
May 2, 2025 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com
Home improvement retailer Lowe's knows the importance of engaging with customers, and in the brand's case, that includes both do-it-your-self consumer and the home improvement pro.
Engagement is also invaluable to Lowe's brand partners as it can pay off in a multitude of ways — from driving greater brand loyalty to increased revenue.
It's also a retail customer experience that consumers want these days. Nearly four in 10 U.S. consumers (39%) expect brands to personalize their online shopping experience with tailored interactions, product recommendations and marketing that align with individual preferences and behaviors, according to TransUnion's latest consumer research .
"Effective personalization is a powerful tool for marketers," Matt Spiegel, EVP of TruAudience Growth Strategy, TransUnion, said in a press release on the findings. "When it works, personalization demonstrates to consumers that brands are listening and responding to their individual preferences, leading to higher engagement and stronger brand affinity."
Why Lowe's tapped Vibenomics
To drive its engagement strategy Lowe's partnered with Vibenomics to tap sophisticated tools that let the retailer better reach in-store shoppers via insight from first-party data, according to John Storms, general manager and head of retail media at Lowe's.
Vibenomics, a Mood Media Company, provides in-store digital advertising. Its technology is giving Lowe's, as well as Lowe's brand partners, the ability to launch targeted and specialized audio ads across Lowe's southeastern U.S. locations.
The platform offers retailers a unified retail media network with a monthly reach of over 170 million unique U.S. shoppers and over 1 billion monthly shopping visits, according to Paul Brenner, SVP, global retail media and partnerships at in-store marketplace, Vibenomics.
An early beta rollout with two top Lowe's partners, a leading appliance brand and leading consumer packaged goods, revealed the in-store audio ads effectively drove an incremental sales lift and return on ad spend.
"As retailers continue to digitize their in-store environments, audio ads offer a non-intrusive yet effective way to engage customers, making them an increasingly attractive option for brands wanting to make an impact on purchase decisions," Brenner said in an email interview.
Why the focus on audio engagement
The audio strategy, according to Storms, is all about reaching customers at every point in the shopping journey.
"Adding programmatic audio advertisements to our suite of on-site and off-site solutions and products allows us to test in-store results, while minimizing any disruption to the existing in-store experience," he said in an email interview.
Through programmatic audio advertisements, Lowe's and its partners can connect more directly with Lowe's shoppers.
"Vibenomics has presented us with the technology that allows us to serve up relevant programmatic audio advertisements during a critical time in the customer's shopping journey," said Storms.
The Vibenomics platform is an all-in-one retail media network that allows retailers to digitize on-premise experience and let advertisers connect with customers via display, audio and experiential channels.
"We have a mix of DIY and Pro customers visiting our stores, and we're able to leverage our insights to know when they're most likely to be there and what they're shopping for," said Storms.
"This allows us to create a more relevant and personalized in-store shopping experience for our customers, serving them the right products and services, at the right time, that fuel awareness and conversion."
For example, part of Lowe's Total Home strategy is to localize stores from a merchandising standpoint.
"Our product assortments are seasonally based, and seasonality will vary across the country. With a targeted in-store ad approach, we're able to target by market to match the products we're carrying in that store at that given time, increasing the relevancy on a local level," said Storms.
The return on investment
Lowe's launched its media network four years ago and it has experienced rapid growth — serving over 300 brands in the home improvement category.
The network offers customizable ad solutions, proprietary first party data and consumer insights to help advertisers engage meaningfully with Lowe's expansive customer base.
"This partnership can help our brand partners reach customers while they're at the closest point of conversion in our stores, to maximize their ROI," said Storms, adding, "Brands are able to showcase key promotions and innovation, while directing customers to that part of the store where they can engage with their products."
The in-store audio also presents an opportunity to benefit Lowe's red vest associates.
"Those frontline associates are engaging directly with our customers every day, providing customers with the knowledge and support needed to tackle their next home improvement project. By serving the right mix of Lowe's and brand-led messaging, we're equipping our red vest associates to better sell products that offer value, innovation and are seasonally relevant," said Storms.
One compelling aspect to in-store audio, according to Brenner, is that it has the unique ability to reach customers at the point of purchase, where buying decisions are often made.
"Unlike visual ads that require active attention, audio can deliver messages to shoppers throughout their entire store visit, even as they move between aisles or focus on products," said Brenner.
Targeted ads are particularly effective as they leverage real-time data to deliver highly relevant messages to specific audience segments, he added.
"By combining location data, shopping behavior and even factors like weather or local events, in-store audio can provide personalized recommendations or promotions that resonate with individual shoppers. This precision targeting not only improves the customer experience by reducing irrelevant messaging but also increases the likelihood of influencing purchase decisions," he said.
What to know about deployment before deployment
The Vibenomics platform is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing audio and digital display systems, which means little disruption to operations, said Brenner.
That's a key aspect retailers should consider when looking to deploy retail media technology.
"The platform is user-friendly and doesn't typically require significant additional internal resources, though we recommend designating a point person or small team to oversee the program," said Brenner.
Those aspects are important to consider in choosing a technology and partner, he added. There's also the aspect of training and support.
"Vibenomics provides comprehensive training and ongoing support for staff managing the platform. We offer a turnkey solution for content creation and management, but retailers also have the flexibility to create their own content if desired," said Brenner.
About Judy Mottl
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