The retail hell of the future

Sometimes companies just can’t leave well enough alone.

Already our lives are chock full of advertisements and digital tracking, but people in the retail technology space think there has to be more, more, more!

Two things popped onto my radar this week that are fighting for first place in the unnecessary tech awards.

Instead of simple clear freezer doors, Walgreens is piloting video screens that beam bright ads of crappy frozen pizzas and ice cream across the drug store at you. But when you get sufficiently close enough to the door the screens convert to a sort of life size browser screen of images of what you would assume is behind the door, but alas, the freezer could be completely empty.

The company behind this useless and unwanted technology is called Cooler Screens and the CEO says they want to deliver “contextually relevant”, “high impact” advertising with 100% “verified views” at the “moment of truth”.

The company says consumer experience is at the heart of their design an that this is the retail experience consumers “want and deserve”.

GTFOH LOL.

Instead of simply having a clear glass cooler door where you can actually see what’s inside the cooler (as has been since forever), take a quick look at what goes into making sure you buy…