The simplest in-store competition is a QR code that leads to a game: people scan it on a poster, shelf, package, receipt or table, play on their own phone and sign up to win. You can also show the game on a screen or a tablet at the counter. Either way, a shop visitor who would have left anonymously becomes a contact you can reach again online.
Most people who walk through your door leave without you ever knowing who they were. In-store competitions fix that. They also give shoppers a reason to stop, look at a product and come back. Below are the places that work best for a QR code, how to use screens and staff, and eight ideas you can copy, with examples from retail, FMCG and events.
For planning, prizes and rules in general, read our guide on how to run an online competition.
How a Scan to Win Competition Works
- You build a game, like a spin the wheel or a quiz, and publish it as a campaign page.
- You print the QR code that links to that page wherever shoppers will see it.
- People scan it with their phone camera. No app is needed: the game opens in the browser.
- They fill in the sign-up form, tick the consent box if they want your newsletter, and play.
- Winners get a prize on the spot, like a discount code or a barcode they can show at the till, or they enter a draw.
The sign-ups go straight to your email tool or CRM, so the shop visit turns into an online relationship. Read more about QR codes in store.
Where to Put the QR Code
Posters by the entrance and checkout
The classic. Put a poster where people wait or walk slowly: the entrance, the queue, the fitting rooms. Make the prize the biggest thing on the poster, and keep the call to action short: "Scan and spin to win."
Deichmann puts posters with QR codes in its stores that lead to online spin-and-win games. Its first campaigns gave a 60% lift in leads, and the Christmas game reached a 51% conversion rate.
Shelves and displays
A shelf sign with a QR code catches people at the moment they are looking at the product. Use it for a quiz about the product range, a vote on a new flavour, or a game tied to a launch.
Packaging
For consumer goods brands, the package is the one place you are sure to meet the buyer. A QR code on the pack can lead to a game, a recipe quiz or a vote, and it keeps working after the product has left the shop. Read more in FMCG gamification.
Receipts
Every customer takes a receipt. A line like "Scan to spin the wheel and win" turns it into an invitation to come back. It reaches people who have just bought something, which makes them good contacts.
Table tents and counters
In cafés, restaurants and service counters, people sit and wait. A table tent with a QR code gives them something to do. More ideas for food and drink in restaurant and QSR gamification.
Windows, bags and direct mail
A window sticker works even when the shop is closed. A QR code on a bag or in a catalogue brings the game home.
Tip: use a separate link and QR code for each place. In Scratcher you can then follow visits, players and sign-ups per place, and see whether the poster or the receipt works best. Our QR code marketing strategy goes into more detail.
Can You Use the Receipt Number?
A popular idea is "buy, then enter with your receipt". The simplest way to do it is to add a field to the sign-up form where people type their receipt number, so you can check winners against your till records before you hand out the prize. Talk to our support team about the exact setup for your campaign before you print anything.
Think carefully before you make a purchase a condition of entry. In many countries, requiring a purchase can change how a competition is treated legally. Many brands keep a free way to enter as well. This is general information, not legal advice. Check with your lawyer before you launch a competition that requires a purchase.
Screens, Tablets and Big Screens
Show the QR code on a big screen
A screen in the shop, at an event or in a stadium can show the QR code and the prizes, while people play on their own phones. Aalborg Håndbold runs matchday quizzes on arena screens and got 1,000 matchday quiz participants, while giving its sponsors something extra.
A tablet at the counter
Because the campaign is a web page, it also runs in the browser on a tablet at the counter or on a stand. Staff can invite people to play there and then. Fair play settings, like one entry per email address, still apply.
Replace the physical prize wheel
Norwegian agency Nova Vista replaced a physical prize wheel at retail activations with a digital wheel and reached 11,000 participants and an 89% conversion rate. Unlike a wooden wheel, every spin comes with a sign-up.
Let Your Staff Lead It
The best poster in the world works better when a person points to it. A few simple habits:
- Tell staff what the prize is, so they can mention it at the till: "You can scan this and win a gift card."
- Make prizes easy to claim. Discount codes and barcodes can be scanned at the till. In Scratcher you upload your own unique codes, and each winner gets one. See prizes and winners.
- Keep it short. A game that takes 30 seconds fits in a queue.
8 In-Store Competition Ideas
- Scan and spin at the checkout. A spin the wheel with discount codes and a few bigger prizes.
- Vote for the next flavour on the shelf. A vote game next to the product, with a draw among voters.
- Product quiz by the display. Three questions about the range in a quiz, with a prize for correct answers.
- QR treasure hunt. Hide codes around the shop or venue. Ree Park's Easter egg hunt with QR codes and animal quizzes engaged around 30% of all visitors.
- Launch your loyalty app. Brugseni, Greenland's largest supermarket chain, used a wheel of fortune to launch its loyalty app and converted more than 50% of its members.
- Sampling with a mystery box. Instead of handing out samples, let people open a mystery box for a free product coupon. Burger King did this to launch a new Whopper, with a 45.5% coupon redemption rate.
- Christmas calendar in store. A QR code on posters through December leads to a Christmas calendar with a new door every day, which gives shoppers a reason to come back.
- Scratch card on the receipt. "Scan to scratch" on every receipt, with a scratch card that gives a discount for the next visit.
More ideas, including online campaigns, in competition ideas for business. Smaller shops can find low-cost prizes in giveaway ideas for small businesses.
The FMCG and Grocery Angle
Consumer goods brands rarely own the shop where their products are sold, and they rarely know who buys them. A game behind a QR code on the pack or on a shelf gives them a direct line to shoppers, with consent.
Retailers can offer the same to their suppliers. The online grocer nemlig.com uses interactive campaigns as retail media for FMCG brands, with a survey response rate of more than 35%. Read more in gamification for grocery and supermarkets.
Before You Print
- Test the QR code on several phones, in the light of the actual shop.
- Make sure the campaign page loads fast on mobile data.
- Print the prize, the end date and a short link to the terms on the poster.
- Brief your staff.
- Give each location its own QR code so you can compare.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules for competitions differ between countries, so check them with your lawyer before you launch.
Make the code with the free QR code generator. Handing out coupons too? The printable coupon generator puts a unique code on each one.
FAQ
Do people need an app to scan the QR code?
No. Most phones scan QR codes with the camera, and the game opens in the browser.
Which game works best in a shop?
Short instant win games like spin the wheel or a scratch card fit a queue or a quick stop. A quiz works well where people have time, like a café or a stand.
Can winners use their prize in the shop?
Yes. Give winners a unique discount code or a barcode they can show at the till.
How do I know which QR code works best?
Use a separate link and QR code for each place, such as the poster, the shelf and the receipt, and compare visits, players and sign-ups for each.
Bring Your Next Campaign Into the Shop
Pick a format, add your prizes and print the QR code. Start your free 14-day trial (no credit card needed) or book a meeting and we'll help you plan your in-store campaign. See also online competitions and giveaways.
