Grabbing a cold beverage at your local retailer is turning into a high-tech digital odyssey, with ordinary cooler doors coming alive to offer up product information, deals and — yes — advertisements.

Why it matters: The imposing digital screens, which play full-motion video, aim to meld the experience of online shopping with brick-and-mortar stores. But they also transfer one of the biggest annoyances of the internet — pop-up ads — to the physical world. And not everyone loves that, as CNN reported.

What's happening: The dynamic displays are the brainchild of a Chicago startup called Cooler Screens, which has put them in more than 700 stores in 31 cities, including some Walgreens, Kroger and CVS locations.

They're not the only game in town: Real Digital Media's Primasee Freezer Cooler is a "translucent digital display showcasing high-definition, full-motion video embedded within a freezer or cooler door's glass panel," the company says.

How it works: Cooler Screens' high-tech coolers are outfitted with laser sensors that can detect the presence of a customer within 8 feet, triggering the switch in the display screens.

Context: Cooler Screens co-founder and CEO Arsen Avakian, whose previous company sold Argo Tea beverages, tells Axios he was often frustrated by sloppy store displays and limited marketing opportunities to influence consumer choices at the point of sale.

What they're saying: Digital screens can confuse customers and add a physical barrier to the simple process of reaching into a glass cooler, University of Georgia associate professor Julio Sevilla, a consumer behavior expert, told CNN.

The other side: Cooler Screens' Avakian tells Axios it has hired third-party researchers to track customer feedback and that "more than 90% of customers no longer prefer traditional glass cooler doors."