After a successful test in pilot markets, Seattle-based home-improvement data startup Porch has expanded its partnership with Lowe’s to all of the retailer’s locations across the United States, reaching more than 1,700 stores.
The national rollout, announced this morning, makes the Porch service available to Lowe’s employees on mobile phones and kiosks, as a way to help Lowe’s customers find home-improvement professionals. Porch is also advertised on signs throughout the stores.
Financial details of the partnership weren’t disclosed. The expanded presence promises to further boost Porch’s exposure to homeowners, which in turn gives home-improvement pros more incentive to take part. Porch offers its service for free to homeowners, charging pros for market insights and promotional exposure in specific geographies.
The test in 139 Lowe’s stores has gone “exceptionally well,” said Matt Ehrlichman, Porch’s CEO and chairman, in an interview.
Porch has amassed large amounts of data about home improvement projects across the country, including costs, allowing homeowners to see details about projects in their neighborhoods, and connect with experienced remodelers and contractors.
“The associates in the stores just love it,” he said. “They’ve been hamstrung, to date, not being able to actually help the homeowner get their project done when they ask for a professional. So for them, it’s a tool they can use to help their customers more effectively.”
Jay Rebello, vice president new business development and corporate innovation at Lowe’s, said in a news release, “Homeowners trust Lowe’s products and project expertise, and now that relationship can extend to the search for home improvement pros by providing a highly personal, localized experience through Porch.”
The Lowe’s partnership is one of the factors fueling Porch’s rapid growth, expanding from 25 employees a year ago to more than 140 as of last week. The company is based in Seattle’s Eastlake neighborhood, in the former Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation headquarters building.
