Urban Value Corner Store has deployed its autonomous Smart Store Coolers to a third location, the Eastpark Apartments in Denton, Texas.
This deployment brings Urban Value Corner Store’s total footprint to 12 locations across North Texas, including both full-service stores and autonomous units, said the McKinney, Texas-based company, which specializes in amenity-driven retail for residential communities. Its stores are in high-growth population markets.
The Smart Store Cooler platform gives residents access to beverages, snacks and everyday essentials directly in their community, the company said. The installation at Eastpark Apartments highlights the company’s “ability to adapt its model to meet the needs of a wide range of property types, from large-scale developments to mid-size and growing communities,” it said. The company announced this latest cooler deployment on March 27.
To use, residents tap a card or digital wallet to open the cooler, according to the company’s website. Artificial intelligence (AI) sensors track what’s taken; there are no bar codes or scanning. Items are automatically charged when the door closes.
There are three coolers at Eastpark Apartments, the leasing agent told CSP. One sells beverages like water and energy drinks, another lighter snacks like candy and chips, and the third more grocery-related items such as brownie mix, tomato sauce, ramen, protein bars and muffins.
As multifamily developers place increasing emphasis on amenities that improve resident satisfaction and retention, Urban Value said it continues to offer a flexible solution that integrates seamlessly into the living environment. This can be through fully staffed retail stores or Smart Store Coolers.
“This is exactly why we created the Smart Store Cooler platform option,” said Steve McKinley, CEO and founder of Urban Value Corner Store. “Not every community has the footprint or density for a full-service store, but every community has residents who value convenience.”
The company’s ability to scale the model ensures it delivers the same “elevated experience” regardless of size, McKinley said.
The Eastpark Apartments installation reflects a broader shift in the multifamily industry toward practical, experience-driven amenities, Urban Value said. Unlike traditional vending or off-site retail options, its Smart Store Cooler platform offers a curated product selection, real-time inventory management and a seamless, technology-enabled checkout process.
Urban Value in late 2025 opened its first single-family community location in Justin, Texas, in the community of Wildflower Ranch just outside Fort Worth, Texas. The store is Urban Value’s first full-service location for a large-single family home community, the retailer said.
“We have been looking forward to opening the Wildflower Ranch store since early last year,” McKinley said at the time. “Now that the amenity center has been completed, our store will be one of the first amenities that existing and prospective residents will see upon entering this beautiful new community.”
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