Schuh joins retail Wi-Fi revolution

Multichannel footwear retailer partners with wireless operator to provide free Wi-Fi and maximise engagement with tech-savvy customers

Schuh, the online and High Street footwear retailer, recently announced it is to offer free Wi-Fi in its stores as a way of better engaging with the smartphone-owning customers who are currently driving 32% of its online sales.

The Wi-Fi service, provided by operator The Cloud, will be available on all mobile devices allowing customers to browse the internet, use social networks or access any other web-based services for free in schuh’s stores.

Extending product range

The service is being rolled out in all of the retailer’s branded stores across the UK, to enable shoppers to browse its entire product range, check stock and reserve products online. It is designed to further increase convenience, while also ensuring that customers are kept up-to-date with all that schuh has to offer.

Research from The Cloud has highlighted the growing mobile dependency of the modern shopper, with 73% of smartphone owners having used their phone when shopping to check prices, look for offers or use apps like Facebook, Twitter or Foursquare while in retail stores. The free Wi-Fi will enable schuh to respond to this trend and ensure it does not miss out on the benefits on offer to both its shoppers and the business itself.

Sean McKee, head of e-commerce and customer services at schuh, stated: “Over the past few years we’ve seen mobile devices enhancing instore shopping behaviour.

Offering shopping convenience

“One of the major benefits of being able to access free internet is that customers can view our entire product range quickly and easily from their mobile – it offers a way of maximising convenience for each shopper. In short, the free Wi-Fi service means we are providing the best possible service and are of course maximising sales potential.”

The company also launched 16 new stores throughout the UK last year, as well as embarking on a revamp of its existing estate. In support of its ongoing multichannel strategy, it launched schuh.eu and fr.schuh.eu as well as introducing optimised tablet and mobile sites at t.schuh.co.uk and m.schuh.co.uk.

In addition, The Cloud deal sees retailer joins a number of others that have signed up with the public Wi-Fi provider in the last three years, including the likes of WHSmith and ted Baker.