Starbucks Offers Customers Free Wi-Fi
SEATTLE -- Starbucks is turning on free Wi-Fi with one click July 1 at U.S. and Canadian company-operated stores.
Customers with Wi-Fi-enabled laptops, tablets and mobile phones will have unlimited Internet access to surf the Web, connect with social networks, search for jobs or work at their neighborhood Starbucks.
Most recently, the free Wi-Fi benefit was limited to two hours a day and only available to members of the My Starbucks Rewards program. The new, unlimited Wi-Fi offer features a one-click entry point, with no username or password required.
"Our customers were asking for a simplified Wi-Fi offering, and free Wi-Fi has been a top request on MyStarbucksIdea.com," said Chairman, President and CEO Howard Schultz. "We're excited to turn this feedback into action and believe our customers will be delighted with the enhanced experience they'll find in Starbucks stores."
Starbucks will continue to work with AT&T in the United States as its Wi-Fi provider, a relationship that's been in place since 2008. Close to 6,800 Starbucks locations are part of AT&T's U.S. Wi-Fi network, the nation's largest. In Canada, more than 750 company-operated stores will now have free Wi-Fi; Bell is the Wi-Fi provider in Canada and has worked with Starbucks since 2005.
As Schultz noted at the WIRED Business Conference June 14, the addition of one-click, free Wi-Fi to the Starbucks customer experience is just the beginning. Later this fall, Starbucks plans to introduce the Starbucks Digital Network, in partnership with Yahoo! This new online experience, currently planned for U.S. company-operated stores, will offer customers free, unrestricted access to a collection of paid sites and services, exclusive content and previews, free downloads and local community news.
"Bringing one-click, free Wi-Fi to Starbucks opens up new opportunities for our customers and gives us the backdrop to continue to bring innovation to their in-store experience," said Stephen Gillett, Starbucks executive vice president, chief information officer and general manager of Digital Ventures.
Customers with Wi-Fi-enabled laptops, tablets and mobile phones will have unlimited Internet access to surf the Web, connect with social networks, search for jobs or work at their neighborhood Starbucks.
Most recently, the free Wi-Fi benefit was limited to two hours a day and only available to members of the My Starbucks Rewards program. The new, unlimited Wi-Fi offer features a one-click entry point, with no username or password required.
"Our customers were asking for a simplified Wi-Fi offering, and free Wi-Fi has been a top request on MyStarbucksIdea.com," said Chairman, President and CEO Howard Schultz. "We're excited to turn this feedback into action and believe our customers will be delighted with the enhanced experience they'll find in Starbucks stores."
Starbucks will continue to work with AT&T in the United States as its Wi-Fi provider, a relationship that's been in place since 2008. Close to 6,800 Starbucks locations are part of AT&T's U.S. Wi-Fi network, the nation's largest. In Canada, more than 750 company-operated stores will now have free Wi-Fi; Bell is the Wi-Fi provider in Canada and has worked with Starbucks since 2005.
As Schultz noted at the WIRED Business Conference June 14, the addition of one-click, free Wi-Fi to the Starbucks customer experience is just the beginning. Later this fall, Starbucks plans to introduce the Starbucks Digital Network, in partnership with Yahoo! This new online experience, currently planned for U.S. company-operated stores, will offer customers free, unrestricted access to a collection of paid sites and services, exclusive content and previews, free downloads and local community news.
"Bringing one-click, free Wi-Fi to Starbucks opens up new opportunities for our customers and gives us the backdrop to continue to bring innovation to their in-store experience," said Stephen Gillett, Starbucks executive vice president, chief information officer and general manager of Digital Ventures.