Editor’s note – Oct. 28, 2020 – The press release below was updated to clarify Cooler Screens’ current partnership with Walgreens.
CHICAGO, Il. and REDMOND, Wash. (October 28 (8am PT), 2020) — Cooler Screens and Microsoft Corp. announced a multi-year collaboration focused on bringing an immersive digital experience to brick-and-mortar retail environments. Through the collaboration, Cooler Screens will work with Microsoft to scale the delivery of its immersive digital media and merchandising platform hosted on Microsoft Azure to retailers and product brands. The companies will also explore additional integration opportunities to deliver enhanced experiences to customers.
Cooler Screens’ retail technology replaces traditional cooler doors with IoT enabled, high-resolution smart screens which use sensors both outside and inside of the coolers to track inventory and product placing. The solution uses “identity-blind” data from consumer interactions, combined with external data like weather to deliver more personalized experiences.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with an industry leader like Microsoft to drive innovation in retail and build the largest in-store digital media platform in the world,” said Greg Wasson, co-founder and chairman of Cooler Screens. “We are changing the way consumers shop for the better, and this collaboration not only gives us the capabilities to implement our strategy but also gives us immediate massive scale.”
“Retailers today are looking to use digital technology to transform their businesses and redefine the shopping experience for customers,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft. “Through the power of Microsoft Azure, companies like Cooler Screens are meeting this important need by bringing immersive digital experience to brick and mortar stores.”
Cooler Screens are currently located in more than 50 Walgreens locations. Cooler Screens will expand its platform into 2,500 Walgreens stores across the U.S. in 2021, reaching over 75 million in-store consumers monthly, including 2.5 million on a daily basis.
“Walgreens is committed to enhancing our customer shopping experience through digital transformation, one of our key strategic priorities,” said Stefano Pessina, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance. “Pairing the Cooler Screens digital media and merchandising technology with Microsoft’s Azure platform will bring a unique and innovative offering to Walgreens customers shopping the cooler aisle.”
Brands including MillerCoors, Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Chobani, Tyson Foods and Monster Energy currently advertise with Cooler Screens. The company is working with a number of leaders in the grocery and convenience store industry, including Kroger and GetGo, to bring more contextually relevant shopping to the stores.
To learn more about how Cooler Screens is working to transform the in-store retail experience, visit www.coolerscreens.com.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
About Cooler Screens
Cooler Screens is reimagining the consumer experience in brick-and-mortar retail. The company has developed a patented in-store digital merchandising and media platform that enables consumers to experience in-store what they love about shopping online. Enjoying simplified access to the latest and most relevant information, consumers can now make more informed in-store decisions to best fit their budgets, taste and health preferences. The impact for retailers is a dynamic way to increase sales by offering shoppers a better, more personalized experience at the last mile of advertising. For consumer product companies, Cooler Screens is providing a new platform to build brand awareness, market their products at the point-of-sale, and improve visibility with real-time analytics. Cooler Screens fully adopted Privacy by Design, a rigorous framework developed by global privacy experts and is now one of only 10 organizations with the PECB MS Privacy by Design certification. For more information, please visit http://www.coolerscreens.com.
For more information, press only:
Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications, (425) 638-7777, [email protected]
