Customers aren’t crazy about one big modification made by Walgreens to their freezer and fridge area. The refrigerator section of a Walgreens shop won’t look the same the next time you go in. Instead of clear glass doors, you’re likely to see an opaque door with digital displays displaying what’s inside the fridge that doesn’t allow customers to peek through the glass and view what’s inside.
Cooler Screens is the creator of the digital displays. The system employs motion sensor cameras to keep track of what products are in the fridges and show product pictures as well as product information, pricing, discounts, and – brand marketers being eager to have access to -paid advertising.
Walgreens is now selling these new cooler doors to offer ad space to companies who want more consumers to try their goods. However, thousands of customers have been outraged by Walgreens’ decision to sell the original cooler doors.
Customers who are upset with Walgreens’ new way of displaying the items in their refrigerators and freezers have taken to social media sites, such as TikTok, to voice their displeasure.
“Why would Walgreens do this?” one furious customer posted on TikTok. “Who on God’s green earth thought this was a good idea?”
Another said: “Walgreens NOBODY needs TV screen replacing doors in your cooler aisles… Stop.”
“The digital cooler screens at Walgreens made me watch an ad before it allowed me to know which door held the frozen pizzas,” wrote another person on Twitter.
Some people think that Walgreens is making a mistake by adding digital displays to its refrigerators and freezers. Although digitizing the doors allows Walgreens to earn money from companies in new ways, customers are unenthusiastic about the transformation.
“People really appreciate their routines. They’re not always seeking excitement,” stated Julio Sevilla, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Georgia who focuses on consumer behavior.“We all love to get into a supermarket and know exactly what we’re getting. I also know exactly where things are. For this type of utilitarian-related setting, people like their certainty and simplicity.”
Walgreens first began testing the technology in 2018, and it has since expanded the service to thousands of locations across the United States. Other retailers are now implementing similar measures, including CVS, Kroger, and certain convenience stores and gas stations.
“I hope that we will one day be able to expand across all parts of the store,” said Arsen Avakian, Cooler Screens co-founder and CEO.
Cooler Screens has over 10,000 digital displays in American retail outlets and as many as 90 million impressions on customers each month.
Despite the fact that they are offending consumers, a Walgreens representative stated the company is “committed to exploring digital innovation in [an] effort to deliver new and different experiences for our customers.”
