ANALYSIS

UK-based Tesco, the global food and general merchandise retailer and fourth-largest retailer of any kind in the world, has announced that it will trial free Wi-Fi in four of its approximately 2700 stores. If the trial works out OK Tesco will roll it out through the fleet.

The purpose of the in-store Wi-Fi is to enable customers to research products and compare prices while they saunter down the aisles. This is, of course, quite different to the purpose of having it at Starbucks where Wi-Fi enables its customers to work and communicate while they sip a latte.

Tesco is not the first food and general merchandiser to introduce free wireless hot spots – Wi-Fi is offered increasingly in the stores of larger US supercentres including Walmart's 500-plus Sam's stores. It is also being trialled in the common areas of some shopping centres.

Soon, Wi-Fi will be expected by shoppers, and stores that don't have it might be at a competitive disadvantage.