Will Lowe’s become birthday party central for kids?
Lowe’s may be giving new meaning to the term lifetime customer value. The home improvement retailer is looking to appeal to consumers as young as five-years-old with a new pilot offering in-store birthday parties for kids.
The chain is testing its “Build a Birthday” parties at 10 locations in Arizona, California, Indiana, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. The decision to test birthday parties grew out of the success that Lowe’s said it has had with monthly workshops tailored for kids in its stores.
Families can book private parties at the participating locations for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The stores offering the parties will give the birthday kids the options of projects such as building race cars, wooden castles, custom wall shelves and others.
The birthday party packages are designed to accommodate 12 kids with the option of having up to 20 join in the fun. Led by a Lowe’s Red Vest Party Captain, the retailer provides safety goggles, aprons and party construction hats. The instruction is designed to give the kids “practical and hands-on knowledge.”
Parents will have the option of having Lowe’s provide pizza, drinks and desserts from Domino’s along with party favors such as t-shirts, water bottles and backpacks. The home improvement retailer is offering $100 Lowe’s gift cards to the first 50 parties booked between Jan. 19 and April 17.
“Home improvement is about the whole family and that’s why we have Weekending at Lowe’s events every Saturday at our stores, including our kids’ workshops that help us feel connected to our littlest DIYers,” said Jen Wilson, senior vice president, enterprise brand and marketing. “And this launch is a natural extension of that relationship. Not only do we want to inspire future builders, but we want DIY — and Lowe’s — to be an integral part of family milestones and memories.”
Lowe’s has plenty of room to scale its “Build a Birthday” service if the pilot project proves successful. The retailer operates nearly 2,200 stores across the U.S.
The chain reported a better-than-expected three percent increase in U.S. same-store sales during the third quarter, which ended Oct. 28, as Lowe’s saw sales among its professional construction customers increase 19 percent year-over-year.