Cooler Screens

By Dr. Terry Kibiloski

For over 30 years, Computer Times has been reviewing products and awarding our coveted Editors’ Choice award to the best products. This is the first time we will be having our readers review a new product, called Cooler Screens. This new technology is marketed as The Future of Retail Media and on their website, it states, “Cooler Screens was founded on the idea that consumers deserve a better experience in brick-and-mortar retail,” which brings “in store consumers an irresistible experience with what they love about shopping online: ease, relevance, and transparency.”

Walgreens has installed Cooler Screens at 2000+ stores nationwide, and other retailers testing Cooler Screens are Chevron gas stations, CVS, GetGo convenience stores, and Kroger. Some of the brands that you may see advertising on the Cooler Screens are Coke, Kraft, Monster, Nestle, and Pepsi. So, why are retailers interested in replacing their clear glass refrigerator and freezer doors with digital advertising doors? Money. The retailers earn advertising fees.

A Cooler Screen shows advertising, and then images of what might be behind the door, rather than allowing you to simply look through a glass door to see what is in stock before you open the door. While the company states that it provides transparency to the in-store consumers, many consumers say they would rather have the transparent glass doors back so they can see what is behind each door. Some consumers say that the digital door shows a variety of products on the door’s digital screen yet when they open the door there are few products available. Other consumers say that they can no longer quickly run into the store and grab something from the refrigerated section because they don’t know what is available with a quick glance. Instead, they must open multiple doors to find their desired product. These digital doors are all about giving you digital advertising before you can see the actual products available behind the doors.

So, what do YOU think about these new Cooler Screens? If you have experienced these digital doors, please send an email to comptimes@aol.com with a description of your experience. In your email, please let us know if Computer Times has your permission to print your name, along with the location where you experienced Cooler Screens. We will then reprint your emails at the bottom of this article, creating our first reader review of a new technology.