Having a trusted pharmacy and drugstore nearby like Walgreens is vital for access to products like over-the-counter medicines, cosmetics, vitamins, and even everyday necessities—not to mention prescription medications. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they took on an even more critical role by providing access to vaccines and reliable testing for the virus.
But now, Walgreens has made a change to its stores that has left some shoppers outraged. Read on to see why customers are getting angry with the drugstore chain.
Next time you walk into a Walgreens location, you won’t find the refrigerator section looking the same. Instead of the clear glass doors that you are used to, you’re likely to find an opaque door that has digital screens displaying what is inside the fridge instead of just letting shoppers look through the glass and see what’s in there.
The digital screens are developed by the startup company Cooler Screens. The technology uses motion sensor cameras to monitor what products are in the fridges and display images of the product as well as product information, prices, deals, and – as brands are very excited to have access to – paid advertisements.
These new cooler doors give Walgreens a way to increase its revenue by providing ad space to brands that want more customers to try their products. However, Walgreens has outraged thousands of customers who didn’t realize there was a problem with the original cooler doors in the first place.
Some outraged customers took social media to say they do not like them. For example, digital doors were seen showing the product that was not inside when opened.
“What if you’re sold out of something and it doesn’t register?” @robtechclips asked. “If only there was a way that we could see inside of a freezer – you know, like a glass door.”
“Why would Walgreens do this?” one shocked shopper posted on TikTok. “Who on God’s green earth thought this was a good idea?”
Another tweeted: “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,” said someone on Twitter.
Cooler Screens isn’t just limited to Walgreens. In June, the company said it was ramping up its rollout that COVID-19 had delayed to clients such as Walmart, CVS, and Kroger, AdWeek reports.
The company’s biggest initial expansion deal with Walgreens expected to see screens installed in 2,500 locations, with 1,400 set up by the end of last year. Overall, the roughly 10,000 screens that have already been installed in a variety of stores are viewed by more than 90 million customers each month, the company tells CNN.
Some experts believe Walgreens is making a mistake by including digital screens on their fridges and freezers. Although digitizing the doors does give Walgreens an additional way to make money from brands, customers are not excited about the change.
Julio Sevilla, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Georgia who studies consumer behavior, said:
“People really appreciate their routines. They’re not always seeking excitement. 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.”
Watch it here: BackyardFilms/Youtube
Source: AWM
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