Wifi Revolution

Starbucks Coffee Canada, which has more than 650 company-operated coffee shops across Canada, announced today that it’s formed a relationship with Bell Canada (News - Alert), allowing them to offer customers free Wi-Fi access at its stores.

 

The offer may be due to declining sales for the Starbucks Corp., which recently announced job cuts, sending more people to the unemployment line.

 

Customers with a Starbucks card will be allowed two free hours of Wi-Fi Internet access per day, while Bell Internet users will benefit from unlimited access. Starbucks stores participating in the scheme will display the Bell Internet logo near the entrance.

 

“Starbucks and Bell are bringing customers what they have been waiting for – a high-quality Wi-Fi experience at Starbucks locations that is free and easy to access,” said Mary Graham, VP marketing, Starbucks Coffee Canada. “Our goal is to deliver more value, convenience and seamless connectivity in a mobility-centric world. We have made a strategic decision to expand our existing relationship with Bell, our technology partner since 2005.”

 

Starbucks has worked with Bell to make Wi-Fi access easy for Bell customers by using their bell.ca ID to quickly log in. For more information on setting up your login, please go to www.bell.ca/wifi.

“The way our customers use the Internet is changing, and Bell is committed to ongoing innovation to meet these needs by delivering the best Internet service both at home and on the go,” said Steve Bickley, senior vice president, marketing, residential service at Bell Canada. “Bell Internet customers will enjoy free super-fast Internet to access information and entertainment from the comfort of Starbucks locations across Canada.”

 

Starting today, Starbucks Card carrying customers can get complimentary Wi-Fi by entering the number on the back of the card. At this time, your Starbucks Card doesn’t need to be registered to take advantage of the offer. In the fall, in order to qualify for the complimentary two hours of Wi-Fi at Bell hotspots, customers must have a registered Starbucks Card.

 

The Starbucks Coffee Company, which started in 1971, says they’re committed to sourcing and roasting the highest quality Arabica coffee in the world. But times have been tough for the company, which announced last month that they were shutting down 600 stores across the United States, up from its previous plan to close 100.

 

Prior to that, the Seattle-based company had 16,000 stores in the world. Store executives said that they opened too many stores and that some were too close together. The closings were due to start in late July and occur over a few months.

 

Some say Starbucks’ high prices are not flying in a weak economy, with a gallon of gas costing the same $4 price as some of its specialty drinks. While Starbucks’ U.S. stores are in a slump, McDonald’s has rolled out McCaf specialty beverages at a cheaper price.

 

The coffee market, which surged to reach $39.5 billion last year, might be changing, according to a new report by Packaged Facts. The report says the economy, worldwide coffee prices, changing coffee consumption trends, competition from other beverages such as sodas and energy drinks, and health and wellness could be effecting it.

But, the report says, much of the growth in the industry will be coming from the specialty coffee segment, which will continue to chart double-digit growth rates despite the troubled economy.

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