Harrods is testing out QR codes – the mobile ‘barcodes’ favoured by mobile users in Korea and Japan – in an effort to impress tech savvy individuals and students. According to The Times, the QR codes will show up in London and national media to promote an exhibition the posh retailer is putting on, called Design Icons.
Finally, it’s good to see UK companies start to look at QR codes. Only, as The Times points out, there’s one problem with a QR campaign: only a small percentage of phones have QR code reading software on them. That said, it’s a bit chicken and egg: why install the software until there’s something worth reading and why put QR code on anything until people have the software to read it? Kudos for Harrods for experimenting with the codes – and where Harrods go, other retailers are sure to follow.