Walgreens Rolling Out Cooler Screens to More Stores

From Drug Store News, Jan. 10Walgreens is deploying a digital merchandising platform from Chicago-based Cooler Screens to 50 stores in the city. The rollout follows a yearlong six-store pilot that the companies said saw positive results, and will be followed by an expansion to 2,500 Walgreens locations following successful implementation. Cooler Screens’ technology offers a proprietary digital merchandising platform that replaces traditional cooler doors with Internet of Things-enabled screens. The platform offers new merchandising opportunities and offers shoppers information about products that will fit their budgets, taste and health preferences, the company said. “Walgreens is committed to exploring digital innovation that can deliver new and different experiences for our customers, and Cooler Screens has developed a technology that transforms how customers shop the cooler aisle,” said Richard Ashworth, president of operations, Walgreens. “The expansion of the pilot allows us to bring an innovative solution to our stores that brings the power of digital technology to physical retail.”With the expansion, Cooler Screens expects to reach more than 75 million consumers every month, including 2.5 million consumers in stores every day. Surveys from the six pilot stores found that more than 80% of surveyed shoppers thought the Cooler Screens technology made it easier to find products and that the products were more appealing, and more than 90% no longer preferred traditional cooler doors. Cooler Screens said the platform offers new business opportunities for both retailers and suppliers, with the potential to lift sales and grow baskets. Additionally, the company said the platform offers retailers improved efficiencies through digitized merchandising, as well as improved visibility through real-time out-of-stock analytics. Brands are able to directly engage customers and deliver relevant offerings and messaging at point-of-sale, the company said, noting that it can improve brand equity and influence purchasing while gaining real-time insight into promotion engagement and effectiveness. Among the suppliers that have joined the Cooler Screens marketplace are Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, MillerCoors, Tyson, Conagra, Chobani, Red Bull and Monster. The company noted that its platform does not gather or store personally identifiable shopper information. Path to Purchase Institute via Drug Store News (an EnsembleIQ publication)

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