Cooler Screens, a Chicago tech company making digital screens for retailers' refrigerated cooling doors, has entered a multi-year contract with Microsoft to help bring its tech to more retailers.
Founded in 2017, Cooler Screens' digital cooler doors show shoppers what’s inside refrigerators, while also allowing marketers to serve targeted ads to customers. The screens use cameras and sensors to determine the approximate age and gender of the shopper who's approaching the door, and then places ads on the digital screen based on what the shopper may be likely to purchase.
Through the collaboration with Microsoft, the tech giant will help Cooler Screens scale and sell its tech platform to retailers and product brands by offering it on Microsoft Azure. Through Azure, Microsoft is providing an easy-to-use platform that allows Cooler Screens’ customers and partners to access and license the tech.
Because of Microsoft’s strength in cloud and edge computing capabilities, the company says it has been able to accelerate Cooler Screen’s ability to quickly launch pilots, providing the foundation to support Cooler Screen’s expansion and growth. The companies did not disclose which companies are piloting Cooler Screens tech.
However, the companies said they will also explore “additional integration opportunities” to deliver enhanced experiences to customers. But the partnership won’t include Cooler Screens' tech at any Microsoft retail locations.
“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, the co-founder and chairman of Cooler Screens and the former CEO of Walgreens, in a statement. “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.”
The partnership comes shortly after Microsoft co-led an $80 million funding round for Cooler Screens. The round brought Cooler Screens’ total funding to more than $100 million.
So far, Cooler Screens have only been operating in Walgreens locations. In January, Cooler Screens expanded an existing relationship with Walgreens Boots Alliance to bring its refrigerated door technology to 2,500 Walgreens locations in 2021. Cooler Screens are currently located in about 50 Walgreens stores, and advertise content from brands including MillerCoors, Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Chobani, Tyson Foods and Monster Energy.
“Retailers today are looking to use digital technology to transform their businesses and redefine the shopping experience for customers,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in a statement. “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.”
