For those who frequent Walgreens, you might be noticing some changes. Lately, Walgreens has been making an effort to revamp its physical locations – with an emphasis on its refrigerator and freezer doors.
Rather than having glass doors that make it easy to see what items are inside, Walgreens has changed to opaque doors which are able to display what products are inside on a digital screen. These are supposed to function accurately, unfortunately, sometimes the information displayed on the screen isn’t always correct.
Many customers have been left wondering why Walgreens would switch out perfectly fine glass doors for these digital screen doors, but it turns out that there is a benefit to them. Apparently, these digital door screens allow advertisers to promote their products to consumers, as well as allow people to view product information like sales and nutrition without needing to open the door and read the product’s label.
Check out how they’re meant to function down below:
A company called Cooler Screens is responsible for creating these digital doors. As Cooler Screens reports, about 90% of people prefer digital doors to traditional ones.
According to the company’s website, “Consumers can now instantly and easily access the most applicable and up-to-date information, offerings, and promotions—just like when they are online. As a result, Cooler Screens not only modernizes the in-store shopping experience, it also improves information access, relevance, and transparency.”
However, not everyone is in favor od these digital doors. In fact, there have been many people taking to social media to document their negative feedback or experiences with digital doors. One YouTube video caught the downside of using digital doors:
Some people just don’t like the digital aspect and advertising of the digital doors, while others are sharing their frustrations that the doors deceive people into thinking the products are fully stocked when, in reality, they might be fully sold out instead.
Check out some of the upset tweets by people:
The digital cooler screens at Walgreens made me watch an ad before it allowed me to know which door held the frozen pizzas
— Elwood Blues (@ElwoodBluesClue) December 31, 2021
@Walgreens NOBODY needs TV screen replacing doors in your cooler aisles…. Stop.
— IamBucket (@iambucketdotcom) November 18, 2021
The stupid cooler screens make me not want to shop there anymore. Annoying confusing I don't want advertisement in my face constantly
— Simone (@Simone64431199) March 13, 2022
The co-founder and CEO of Cooler Screens, Arsen Avakian, said to CNN Business, “When there’s a new technology, right, consumers are always suspicious, so I expect that.”
Avakian then added, “It’s very important for a new company like ours to always educate the consumers about what it really does and what it doesn’t do.”
What do you think of Walgreen’s changes? Have you seen Cooler Screens in your local Walgreens? Do you find them annoying or useful?