Abstract:
A cooler/counter merchandising display unit combination wherein a merchandising cooler is integrated into various counter arrangements, the cooler being substantially contained within the footprint of the merchandising counter or check-out counter arrangement. In one embodiment, a modular refrigerated cooler is interfaced with a docking base unit which can be positioned, secured or interfaced at the end of a particular service counter, or between two counter portions. In another embodiment, the docking base unit is integrally formed into the merchandising counter and the modular refrigerated cooler is again interfaced with the integrated docking base unit. In still another embodiment, the service counter, docking base unit and refrigerated cooler are all integrated into a one-piece counter arrangement. At least one access door is provided on the cooler to allow consumers to retrieve products therefrom and at least one of the walls forming the cooler compartment includes a transparent window to allow consumers to view the products positioned within the cooler compartment.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The merchandising of products at retail outlets can be complicated and expensive. It oftentimes requires high visibility as well as convenience to trigger a purchase, particularly purchase of an impulse type product. This is particularly true in convenience stores where people tend to spend less time making purchasing decisions since they are typically only in need of a few items and there is a perceived need to reduce the time spent in such stores. In some areas of various convenience stores little time can be spent by a customer, particularly at a service or checkout counter, because of other people standing in line trying to pay and leave the premises. It is well known that to merchandise certain products, their physical location within the store can be an important criteria. Stores are known to charge manufacturers for shelf space in the store to display and sell product, charging a premium for better locations. Additionally, not only is the physical location on the store&#39;s floor plan important, but the height at which the products are displayed can also be important to further enhance visibility and focus attention on such products. In this regard, end-of-isle displays and point of purchase displays enhance sales and help to trigger impulse buying. 
         [0002]    For certain items such as chilled beverages, it is highly desirable to have those items displayed in a manner which will focus attention on such products and which will generate more convenient purchasing activities including impulse buying. One primary location for impulse items is at the checkout counter. Typically, display racks, end-of-isle displays and barrel type ice coolers are provided at checkout counters for the merchandising of certain items including chilled beverages and these point of purchase displays are effective in selling products. In grocery stores that utilize conveyor type checkout counters, it is relatively easy to provide display shelf arrangements adjacent to the entry of the checkout aisle because of the direction of customer movement relative to the counter. However, at convenience stores, the checkout counter is usually a counter arrangement that can be L-shaped, U-shaped, V-shaped, rounded or linear and the ability to place display shelves at or adjacent to the counter is limited because of the way pedestrian traffic flows to and away from such counters. It is also important to keep such display shelves and other point of purchase displays out of the normal pathways of customer movement to prevent people from tripping over or running into such displays. Traditionally, such point of purchase displays at checkout areas are for dry goods or shelf stable goods that require nothing more than shelf space, although barrel type ice coolers are occasionally used adjacent to such counters where space permits. Oftentimes, at convenience stores, display racks are set on top of the checkout counter for the display and merchandising of items at the display counter thereby limiting such sales usually to dry goods only. 
         [0003]    The ability to merchandise products utilizing refrigeration, for example, chilled soft drinks and other chilled beverages, has been traditionally relegated to an area of the store requiring a customer to make a lengthy and time consuming trip to another location in the store for obtaining such products, coming back to the checkout counter, and then checking out. Such display cases are typically walk-in type coolers and are relatively large and provide access from a back side of the cooler for filling or restocking. These coolers oftentimes have shelves inclined downwardly and forwardly so that the products gravity feed from the back to the front of the shelf allowing easy restocking from the back and easy consumer access from the front. Stores are constructed to accommodate such walk-in type coolers by having an entire room located on the backside of such cooler display cases for storing and restocking product thereby limiting their use to a wall area of the store or building. 
         [0004]    It is also recognized that over 50% of convenience store consumers never make it passed the checkout counter. They are there to pay for gas, or to purchase tobacco products or lottery tickets. This is a target audience typically missed with respect to the sale of impulse type items. 
         [0005]    There is also a careful balance in positioning products throughout the merchandising space of a store. If too much product is located adjacent to a checkout area, people will come to the checkout counter, spend time shopping thereby blocking effective use of the checkout counter for people to pay and leave. 
         [0006]    It would therefore be desirable to have high margin and high sales items including impulse items such as chilled beverages displayed at the checkout counter to increase impulse buying and to provide another opportunity to sell product. It would also be desirable to provide a checkout counter merchandising unit that is integrated into the counter and that can be easily accessed for both the sale of items and the replenishment of sold items. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention involves the provision of a cooler construction that is integrated into a counter at a retail outlet. The counter has a customer side and an attendant side, and a generally upwardly facing top surface. A storage compartment is provided that has at least one wall defining the compartment with at least one transparent window positioned for viewing contents in the compartment by a person positioned on the customer side of the counter. This transparent window can be associated with the top surface of the counter, with the customer side of the counter, or both. A refrigeration unit is associated with the storage compartment and is operable to effect cooling of the compartment and the contents therein, although the storage compartment could likewise be adapted to hold ice or other cooling means. The cooler construction includes at least one door forming at least a portion of a wall defining the storage compartment. The door is selectively movable between open and closed positions for removing product from the storage compartment. The cooler is at least substantially contained within the footprint of the counter and preferably at or adjacent the checkout area of the counter. 
         [0008]    The present invention also involves the provision of a method of merchandising products at a retail outlet. The method includes integrating a normally closed cooler into a customer checkout counter. Product is visually displayed in the cooler to consumers. The contents of the cooler are made available to consumers for purchase at the checkout counter with the cooler being positioned at least substantially within the footprint of the counter. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a fragmentary perspective view of a counter arrangement with a merchandising unit for use in a retail store constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of a portion of the counter arrangement shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a rear view of the cooler portion of the merchandising unit shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a fragmentary perspective view of a counter arrangement with an integral docking base and a modular refrigerated cooler. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a fragmentary perspective view of a counter arrangement with an integrated refrigerated cooler. 
       
    
    
       [0014]    Like numbers throughout the various figures designate like or similar parts and/or construction. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    The reference number  1  in  FIG. 1  designates generally a service counter arrangement with a merchandising unit  2  for use in a retail outlet, for example, a grocery store or convenience store. The counter  1  includes a base unit  3  having a footprint defined by the outer perimeter of the base unit  3 . A top of the counter  4  is connected to the base  3  and provides an upwardly facing surface  5 . Items may be placed on the top surface  5 , for example, a cash register  6 , display racks and the like. Business is normally conducted on and across the counter top  4 . The counter  1  has a patron or customer side designated generally  7  and an attendant side designated generally  8 . The counter  1  can be any suitable size and shape including linear, L-shaped, U-shaped, V-shaped, rounded or any other suitable shape as viewed in plan form. 
         [0016]    As best seen in  FIG. 2 , the merchandising unit  2  includes a docking base  11  that can be suitably secured or otherwise positioned or interfaced to an end of the remainder of the counter  1 , or it can be secured, positioned or interfaced between two counter portions  3 A,  3 B of the base  3  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . As shown, the docking base  11  is generally U-shaped in plan form having upper top end portions  14  with a recessed top intermediate surface  15  extending therebetween. A refrigerated cooler  17  is positioned within the space  16  between the front portion  18  and the two side portions  19  such that the recess  20  provides space for access into and product removal from the cooler  17 . Preferably the cooler  17  is power operated having an electrically powered refrigeration unit  40 , although it is also recognized that the cooler  17  could likewise be adapted to hold ice or other cooling means. An electrically powered refrigeration unit may be of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,444,825 to Miller, Jr. et al., and is preferably of a standard motor-compressor-condenser design, as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The depth D ( FIG. 2 ) of the surface  15  and recess  20  is preferably equal to or larger than the height H of a door  22  associated with the cooler  17 . The surfaces  14  are preferably co-planar with an upper surface  25  of a top wall  24  of the cooler  17 . 
         [0017]    The cooler  17  includes at least one transparent wall or a transparent portion of a wall to permit consumers or patrons to view the contents within the cooler. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the front wall, which is in the form of a door  22 , and at least a portion of the top wall  24  are both transparent. While the front wall is shown as being in the form of a door, it is to be understood that the top wall  24  could, instead or in addition, likewise include a door. As illustrated, the door  22  is hinged and may include a return mechanism to close the door  22  upon release by a consumer such as by means of a counterweight mechanism, a spring, a gas spring, or other biasing means. The door  22  could also be a sliding door with a return mechanism. Preferably, the transparent windows are made of a suitable break resistant plastic, glass or other see-through material. 
         [0018]    The cooler  17  is preferably modularized for installation, exchange or service convenience and can fit into an opening in the base unit  11 . The cooler  17  can be held in place by frictional engagement with the floor. Suitable fastening devices may be provided to provide a releasable connection between the cooler  17  and the docking base unit  11 . The cooler  17  has a lower portion of a cabinet  26  that can contain the refrigeration unit (not shown). The refrigeration unit can be any suitable electrically powered refrigeration unit. The cabinet  26  can be vented at  27  for flow of air into and out of the cabinet  26 . The cooler  17  can be provided with suitable internal organizing racks  28  ( FIG. 3 ). The racks  28  preferably will slope forwardly and downwardly from the attendant side  8  toward the customer side  7  so that the product  29  contained therein can slide forward and present product at the face  30  of the cooler  17  when a door  22  is provided at the front of the cooler  17 . The racks  28  can have upstanding dividers to provide product directing channels as is well-known in the art. Preferably, the cooler  17  is configured for the sale of chilled pre-containerized beverages such as soda, fruit juice, tea, milk and the like. 
         [0019]    In one embodiment, and as illustrated, the cooler  17  has a door  22  mounted on the front vertical face  31  of the cooler providing an opening into the cooler  17  through the recess  20  of the base  11 . The top surface  15  is positioned at a height relative to the door  22  so that the door may be hinged downwardly with the surface  15  acting as a door stop. In the event the door  22  is not configured for automatic return, the door  22  can be released to rest on the surface  15 . Preferably, the door  22  is hinged at a bottom edge  34  so that the door pivots downwardly. The height H of the door  22  is preferably approximately equal to or less than the depth D of the surface  15  so that the door  22  does not project outwardly in front of the base  11  when open. In an alternate embodiment, the wall or a portion of the wall  24  may include an access door which could be either hingedly mounted or slidably mounted for movement between open and closed positions. It is also anticipated that the door  22  could be slidably mounted on the front face  31  of the cabinet  26  so as to be accessible from the recessed surface  15 , or the recessed surface  15  could be eliminated and the slidably mounted door could lie flush with the front wall  18  of the counter. Other door configurations are likewise recognized and anticipated. 
         [0020]    The cooler  17  may be provided with a rear door  36  forming one wall of the cooler storage compartment  37 . A rear door  36  ( FIG. 3 ) can provide access by an attendant to either retrieve product for sale or to add additional product to the product storage compartment  37 . Preferably, the rear face  39  of the cooler  17  is co-planar with the back face  40  of the base  11  to reduce catch and trip points. The rear door  36  may also be provided with closing devices such as a spring, a gas spring, a counterweight mechanism or other biasing mechanisms for soft closing of the door. The rear door  36  may also be hinged at the top to prevent attendants from placing loads on the door and from possible breaking of the rear doors  36 , or it may be slidably mounted. 
         [0021]    It is recognized and anticipated that the overall configuration of the cooler  17  and its corresponding base  11  can take on a wide variety of different sizes, shapes and configurations, and the recess surface  15  and the cooler door  22  can likewise take on a wide variety of different shapes and configurations including eliminating the recess surface  15 . The same is likewise true with respect to the interior organization of the cooler compartment  37  including the positioning and location of any internal organizing racks and dividers such as the racks  28  illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Still further, the cooler  17  may include one or any plurality of doors for allowing access to the interior of the compartment  37 . This may include a single door located on the front side of the cooler for access by a customer; a single door located on the top side of the cooler for access by both a customer and an attendant; a single door located on the rear side of the cooler for access by an attendant; or any combination thereof. Other modifications, arrangements and embodiments relating to the positioning and locating of cooler unit  17  in a typical service counter or checkout counter  1  such as the counter illustrated in  FIG. 1 , or to the physical construction of the cooler itself, are likewise envisioned and contemplated. 
         [0022]    In addition, it is likewise recognized and anticipated that the entire merchandising unit  2  as illustrated in  FIG. 2  which includes the cooler  17  and docking base  11  can be integrally formed into any service counter or checkout counter arrangement such that the entire checkout counter configuration  1  illustrated in  FIG. 1  is fabricated as a one-piece unit, or such arrangement can be fabricated in assemblies other than the assembly illustrated in  FIG. 2 . For example, in another embodiment as shown in  FIG. 4 , service counter arrangement  1 ′ is integral with a merchandising unit  2 ′. Thus, docking base  11  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  is integral with base unit  3 , forming base unit  3 ′ which now includes docking base portion  11 ′. Similarly, top end portions  14  are integral with counter top  4 , forming counter top  4 ′ which now includes top end portions  14  and top surface  5 ′. As in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , integrated docking base portion  11 ′ includes recess  20 ′ and a recessed top intermediate surface  15 ′. Thus, a modularized refrigerated cooler  17  as discussed above is positioned within the footprint of the counter arrangement  1 ′, and is operable as discussed above. 
         [0023]    In a third embodiment as shown in  FIG. 5 , service counter  1 ″ may include a non-modularized refrigerated cooler  17 ″ such that refrigerated cooler  17 ″ is integrated into the service counter  1 ″. Thus, top wall  24 ″ of cooler  17 ″ is connected to the counter top  4 ″, forming a single top surface  5 ″. Similarly, front vertical face  31 ″ of the cooler  17 ″ is connected to recessed top intermediate surface  15 ″ and top wall  24 ″. At least a portion of either or both of the top wall  24 ″ and front vertical face  31 ″ are preferably transparent and either or both may include a door as explained above. Such doors may be hinged or sliding in nature, or any other type of door. 
         [0024]    Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments of a novel invention. As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. The terms “having” and “including” and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of “optional” or “may include” and not as “required”. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.