Tesco is reported to be offering free wifi access in four of its stores, and is expected to roll the service out across its estate should the trial prove successful.
Now, I’m a die-hard geek: as a lad I saved up my pocket money to buy a Sinclair ZX81 (Google it, youngsters); I get hot and bothered whenever Apple’s Steve Jobs is set to make an announcement; and my wife has banned my smartphone from the bedroom.
But, despite my love of all things techie, I can’t get fired up about Tesco’s news.
Having a wifi service in an in-store coffee shop makes perfect sense – these days, internet access is as much a part of having a coffee as Danish pastries – but I just can’t see what Tesco or the consumer gets out wifi on the shop floor.
Newspaper reports have said it means shoppers will be able to check the price of goods, read reviews and get product information. Given that pretty much anybody who has a smartphone has internet access, this is something they can already do - albeit probably slightly slower than they could do via wifi. But does speed even matter? Personally, if I want to check prices or read reviews I tend to do that before I hit the shops, not while trying to juggle a trolley, a shopping list and a couple of kids.
And if I’m wrong and shoppers do embrace online price-checking while in-store, surely Tesco runs a risk of losing sales should a product be available cheaper at a rival.
Wifi is great for those times when you need fast, steady internet access – such as downloading an app or viewing video content. Now, thanks to Tesco, you could soon be browsing the yoghurt aisle while watching a smooth, hi-res YouTube clip of a monkey playing tennis.
No comments yet