Batteries Plus rebrands name, stores, e-commerce site
Batteries Plus is evolving its customer experience across multiple touchpoints and simplifying its name.
The nation's largest and fastest-growing battery, light bulb, key fob, and phone-repair franchise is undergoing an extensive omnichannel rebranding project called "Project Volt." Following are highlights of how Batteries Plus is altering the customer experience in its brick-and-mortar stores and on its e-commerce site, as well as changes being made to the company’s marketing strategy.
Brick-and-mortar
Batteries Plus is attempting to increase the shoppability of its physical stores with clearer signage, digital displays, and an area dedicated to servicing the needs of business customers. The company also unveiled new branding that includes a simplified name change to Batteries Plus. Updated exterior signage will be present at all new Batteries Plus locations and some select existing locations.
Over the next few years, all Batteries Plus locations will adopt the new signage. About 600 stores, or nearly 90% of all Batteries Plus locations, have gone through the Project Volt refresh. In addition, all new store openings will have the updated look and feel.
According to Batteries Plus, stores that have implemented the rebranding are outperforming non-rebranded stores by on average 4%, especially in core categories such as automotive, marine, and sealed lead acid.
Other features of the new or remodeled stores include implementation of high-tech digital displays from Samsung, updated signage with visual infographics; and the installation of contemporary, more customer-friendly counters and fixtures. Batteries Plus is also offering franchisees the option to add features such as customer-seating areas, renewed vehicle graphics, wood grain slat walls, LED paneling, and new uniforms.
"The new branding and look of our stores better convey the company's focus on helping individuals, communities, and organizations power their lives through unrivaled products, services and a positive customer experience," said Scott Williams, CEO of Batteries Plus. "We began evolving our stores nationwide last year and now have nearly 600 stores re-envisioned with many more on the way."
Ecommerce
On the digital front, the company's online store, Batteriesplus.com, recently relaunched with the new branding as well, using platform partner Optimizely. The new website has been redesigned for easier navigation on a mobile device.
Marketing
Founded in 1988 under the name Batteries Plus, the company added 'Bulbs' to the brand name in 2012 with the introduction of LED lighting solutions, and We Fix It, the state-of-the-art repair service offering at stores nationwide, was added in 2015 to represent the new phone-repair category. By 2018, the company introduced the key fob replacement and reprogramming category. It became apparent the brand name didn't provide customers with the full knowledge of what its stores had to offer. To more accurately communicate the wide array of productions and solutions, the company has added a new tagline – “Power It. Light It. Fix It.” – which speaks to the main categories of business but more importantly, showcases the brand's commitment to its customers to power solutions and fix problems.
Recap: Expansion plans
Batteries Plus previously signed agreements in January and February 2022 for 15 new franchise units. The new agreements came after a record-breaking year in 2021, the company said, during which the brand totaled 88 signings through multi-unit agreements and growth with current franchisees. Batteries Plus has set new company goals to sign an additional 60 stores this year while opening another 55 across the country by year’s end. Target markets for development include the Northeast region and Southern California.