Family Floors, a flooring retailer with three locations in the Los Angeles market, recently implemented QR code pricing technology to enhance showroom engagement and streamline operations.
“I think QR codes can really help industries like the flooring industry because no matter if the price changes, the QR code changes with it,” said Melissa Glatman, owner of Family Floors. “If you don't have to worry about it when they scan it, that's the true price, and that's what it is.”
Her experience was recently featured on the documentary series "Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid” on the Fox Business Network. Family Floors implemented technology from Showroom Pricing. Co-founded by Kristen Stensby, Showroom Pricing offers QR code-driven solutions for flooring retailers, enabling real-time pricing updates and comprehensive data reports.
Stensby said she met the owners of Family Floors in 2021 when Family Floors was part of a pilot program bringing Showroom Pricing to the Shaw Flooring Network as an approved vendor.
We recently connected with Stensby to find out more about the software, which allows retailers to stay competitive, improve efficiency, and transform their sales cycle, reducing appointment times.
Floor Trends & Installation: How did you enter the technology business?
Stensby: I grew up in flooring. I was working for my father as a commissioned-based flooring salesperson and saw the lack of resources for flooring dealers looking to keep pricing updated electronically. Since there was nothing on the market, I built it. It was so successful for my family's store that I quit selling flooring and started selling software.
Floor Trends & Installation: What does Showroom Pricing do?
Stensby: Essentially, we keep a database of pricing that allows the dealer to print a QR code, place it on the sample, and keep the data updated electronically within the software program. They never have to reprint a price tag again!
Floor Trends & Installation: How is it implemented?
Stensby: The implementation takes two parts. The first is getting the data into the software. That takes anywhere from 10 - 15 business days, depending on other software providers we are working around and the product distributors' turnaround time for starting new B2B data flows, when needed.
The second portion is launching the software and tagging the store. Melissa and Jay had three stores and several mobile showrooms, and they were able to power through all of that in three weeks or less. Most retailers take about a month to get a store tagged. It really comes down to the motivation of the dealer to get things tagged and the manpower they have available. Of course, stores that see the value in moving manpower away from constant re-tagging (before Showroom Pricing) usually have a stretched-thin team as it is. We offer optional services to help with this, too! I have two dedicated ladies that all they do is fly around the country and help dealers get the tags on the samples. And then once they are tagged, it is just data management from there on out. No more re-tagging samples.
Floor Trends & Installation: How does it change a retailer’s business?
Stensby: I work with many stores that have never had price tags on the showroom floor. So, for them, it is not about saving time by re-tagging. It is about changing their sales cycle and speeding up client product selection. They are no longer looking up every price of every product for each sales appointment. For stores that are currently pricing, we have given them the ability to refocus salesmen's time on other tasks like client follow-up, etcetera, because the burden of re-pricing is lifted from them. Depending on how you evaluate the time savings, it changes.
At my own store, when I implemented the QR codes, I went from sales appointments lasting upwards of 90 minutes to being able to close almost any sale in 40 minutes or less. All my time savings came from just ending constant product lookups. I had tighter appointments because I wasn't walking away from the client to look up a price.
Of course, we provide the scanning data for the dealer, as well. They get insights to every scan, separated by location, material, etc.
Floor Trends & Installation: How does your technology compare to other pricing technologies in the industry?
Stensby: We have since seen the software have a ripple effect in the industry, with competitors popping up. I retain that we have the most comprehensive QR code on the market for this industry, and we allow our dealers to use any ERP system and even switch systems without replacing QR code tags.
