Coates Group Expands to U.S. With Opening of New Innovation Lab to Showcase the Future of Digital Merchandising.
Digital merchandising leader establishes new headquarters in Chicago for QSR and retail partners to rapidly prototype and test merchandising solutions
CHICAGO — September 29, 2016 — Coates, a global leader in digital merchandising software, kiosks, and digital drive-thrus, expands the reach of its world-class products with the opening of its U.S. headquarters in Chicago, which includes a fully equipped innovation lab. The new Coates Lab offers quick service restaurants (QSR), retail brands and agencies a state-of-the-art space for a hands-on, personalized experience of the future of digital merchandising. With more than 50 years of leadership in digital solutions, Coates is in a unique position to take customers from proof of concept, design and manufacturing to installation and support, to provide their customers the most engaging experience.
Coates serves more than 35 markets around the globe, with bases in Australia, China, India, Japan and now the United States. The company boasts an impressive list of customers, including McDonald’s, Lindt Chocolate, and Subway along with strategic partnerships with industry giants such as ParTech, Inc. (PAR), Samsung, and Intel.
“Expanding into North America has always been a long-term focus for Coates,” Leo Coates, CEO of Coates Group, said. “Given the opportunities in the U.S. market, we’re confident our personalized approach moves the dial in digital merchandising as brands know it today. Chicago provides Coates a strategic base to bring greater service and bolder innovations to restaurants, merchants, and marketers.”
Retail and QSR Partners Rely on Coates
Worldwide, Coates works alongside PAR, Google, Radius Networks, Seneca Data and leading agencies DDB, Leo Burnett and VML to help bring the most innovative end-to-end solutions to market. QSR and retail in the U.S. can now work directly with Coates experts in hardware and software to co-develop their dream solutions.
“PAR is collaborating with Coates to offer our U.S.-based QSR customers personalized digital solutions that enhance the customer experience and improve operational efficiency,” said Karen Sammon, President and CEO PAR Technology Corporation. “With Coates, we see an opportunity to enhance our Brink POS® Software and augment PAR’s restaurant portfolio.”
Coates Delivers Personalized In-store Experiences
Coates Lab encompasses displays, kiosks, digital drive-thru solutions, beacons, facial recognition and social media powered by Switchboard, the groundbreaking, data-driven content management system (CMS) developed by Coates. Switchboard enables brands to deliver a personalized and localized one-to-one experience in-store, similar to what online retailers offer on their websites, with an online record of the buyers’ past purchase history and a personalized greeting using Coates’ Switchboard content management system.
Coates Lab is also using virtual reality (VR) technology to elevate its digital hardware and software product development, personalization and pilot programs. Coates invites their clients, creative teams and developers to build and experience their new products in a personalized VR experience, as if they were a customer in their own store.
Franchises Increase Sales Using Coates Products
“Their product has always met the highest standards of quality and design,” said Howard Armitage, McDonald’s franchisee and Coates customer. “Coates is professional, proactive and innovative, with an obvious attention to detail and quality. Switchboards dynamic content reacts to individual items ordered, and I have seen an instant uplift in sales as a result of the new digital drive-thru installations.”
About Coates Group
Founded in 1963, Coates applies technology and solutions to deliver relevant, personalized digital merchandising content for quick service restaurant brands (QSR) and the retail industry. Coates’ data-driven CMS software Switchboard, self-order kiosks, digital drive-thru and outdoor displays are used by leading brands across 35 global markets. The privately held company is headquartered in Australia with offices in Japan, India, China, and U.S. operations are based in Chicago.
