Cooler Screens expands in-store retail media presence

Today at NRF 2023, Cooler Screens announced an expansion of their in-store video screen offerings. Their technology has previously been used to provide video screens for refrigerator doors at Walgreens and other retailers. New screens will now be available for store end-caps, checkout coolers, pharmacy screens and elsewhere.

Why we care. New video screens tailored to specific contexts throughout a brick-and-mortar location can make for a more engaging in-store experience. They also provide an opportunity for advertisers to nudge shoppers toward their products.

For retailers building out their retail media networks (RMNs) for advertisers, more screens in key positions throughout the store can produce more ad inventory. Our look ahead at RMNs indicated that demand is growing for off-site advertising opportunities while on-site and in-store advertising becomes saturated. More in-store inventory improves the experience for shoppers and increases the opportunities for on-site activations.

Integrated screens around the store. The Cooler Screens experience on refrigerator doors shows a video recreation of the products, prices and special offers that shoppers can find chilling inside.

These same capabilities will now be available for screens on non-refrigerated aisles, for coolers at checkout lines, and at in-store pharmacies and other locations throughout the store.

“We are creating an integrated solution across the brick-and-mortar environment, fundamentally transforming the in-store experience,” said Arsen Avakian, founder and CEO of Cooler Screens, in a release.

Functionality. The Cooler Screens units have sensors that measure key shopping metrics like door opens and the amount of time a shopper stands in front of the screen. The system is “identity-blind,” so it isn’t collecting personally identifiable information or looking to identify individual shoppers.

The data about shopping behavior and video screen performance is used to display relevant product information and promotions on the screens. By combining the performance data into a single platform throughout the store, retailers can optimize what they show on screens in different store contexts.

This opens the door for brand advertisers and other retail partners to find the right opportunities to get involved and promote on the screens in a relevant way for shoppers.

In addition to retailers like Walgreens and Kroger, who have installed Cooler Screens technology, brand partners who have used the tech include Anheuser-Busch InBev, The Kraft Heinz Company, Edgewell and others.

Cooler Screens now boasts close to 100 million screen viewers per month across 10,000 U.S. screens, with views projected to double in 2023.

Dig deeper: 2023 Predictions: Experience, ecommerce and transformation