Customers to get free AT&T Wi-Fi at Barnes & Noble stores
AT&T and Barnes & Noble will announce a new deal today that gives customers free AT&T Wi-Fi access at B&N stores across the country. The goal, on B&N’s side of the equation, is to tout free access to its apps and of course its eBook library, which now stands at over 700,000 titles. Steve Riggio, CEO of Barnes & Noble, had this to say:
Barnes & Noble pioneered the concept of retail stores as community centers. By providing no-fee Wi-Fi access, we are not only meeting our customers’ needs, but extending the sense of community that has always been in our stores. This is a natural progression of our digital strategy to provide customers with more choices in how, when and where they want to read.
Sit around, drink a $7 coffee, munch on a piece of cinnamon apple swirl fig tart cake and snag a few eBooks while enjoying free Wi-Fi. Sure, why not… Hit the jump for the full press release.
BARNES & NOBLE STORES NATIONWIDE
TO OFFER COMPLIMENTARY AT&T WI-FI
In-Store Access to Over 700,000 eBooks On World’s Largest eBookstore
Customers Can Download Barnes & Noble Free Apps and Get Access to the World’s Largest eBookstore — Exclusive Content, Customer Reviews, Information about In-Store Events, Locate a Store, and Much More
NEW YORK, JULY 28, 2009 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world’s largest bookseller, announced today a strategic agreement with AT&T that will provide complimentary in-store Wi-Fi to any customer that visits a Barnes & Noble bookstore nationwide. All customers shopping in Barnes & Noble stores can now freely download and preview any of the over 700,000 eBook titles with hundreds of thousands of public domain titles available from Google. The company said its number of eBook titles is expanding every day and expects to hit the one million mark soon.
“Barnes & Noble pioneered the concept of retail stores as community centers,” said Steve Riggio, CEO of Barnes & Noble, Inc. “By providing no-fee Wi-Fi access, we are not only meeting our customers’ needs, but extending the sense of community that has always been in our stores.”
Mr. Riggio added, “This is a natural progression of our digital strategy to provide customers with more choices in how, when and where they want to read.”
The existing AT&T Wi-Fi network at Barnes & Noble has been available to customers since 2005. Now, anybody walking into a Barnes & Noble store anywhere in the country will have complimentary and unlimited access to the network at all store locations.
As a part of the Wi-Fi offering announced today, customers will soon be able to opt-in to receive personalized messages from Barnes & Noble – such as a coupon to the in-store café, notices on an author book signing or details on where to find a new book release in their favorite genre – on their Wi-Fi enabled devices when they enter the store.
“We are pleased to expand our relationship with Barnes & Noble as we work together to enhance and deepen customers’ overall experience within the retail stores,” said Ron Spears, CEO, AT&T Business Solutions. “We currently offer the majority of our AT&T customers Wi-Fi access throughout our more than 20,000 U.S. hotspot footprint, including Barnes & Noble, with their qualifying AT&T services. Now, we’re excited to be able to offer every Barnes & Noble customer the same great Wi-Fi experience at no extra charge whenever they enter a retail store.”
Customers can also download free Barnes & Noble Apps giving them access to the world’s largest eBookstore with over 700,000 eBooks titles and exclusive content, customer reviews, information about in-store events, store locations, and more.
The free apps include:
Barnes & Noble Bookstore app for iPhone and iPod touch allows customers to:
- Discover their next great read by browsing bestsellers, B&N Recommends lists, new releases or watching video interviews with authors.
- Check the events calendar for celebrity book signings, readings, musical performances and children’s Storytimes.
- Find the closest Barnes & Noble, get maps and directions.
- Use the iPhone’s camera to snap a photo of a front cover and within seconds promptly retrieve product details, editorial reviews, and customer ratings – even find and reserve a copy in the nearest store.
Barnes & Noble eReader app for the Barnes & Noble eBookstore – enabling convenient anytime, anywhere eBook reading on iPhone and iPod touch; BlackBerry® smartphones, PC’s and Mac® laptops and desktops. Offers customers:
- Instant access to more than 700,000 eBook titles.
- Hundreds of new releases and bestsellers at $9.99.
- More than half a million public domain titles available.
- Powerful tools to optimize the reading experience, including the ability to modify type size and font and annotate and bookmark text, as well as an innovative auto-scroll feature enabling users hands free reading.
Read free eBooks today: www.bn.com/ebooks
What the hell are you drinking that costs $7? You’d have to add like 4 extra shots to hit that for a single cup!
Is this all Wi-Fi access, or just to the B&N sites? Not clear from the press release. When does it go into effect? It would be great to be able to go into B&N any time to get free Wi-Fi. Also wonder if airport B&Ns will participate (doubt it).
Is this for AT&T landline customers too?
From the press release, it sounds like ANYBODY – not just AT&T customers get free WiFi:
“Now, anybody walking into a Barnes & Noble store anywhere in the country will have complimentary and unlimited access to the network at all store locations”
and
“Now, we’re excited to be able to offer every Barnes & Noble customer the same great Wi-Fi experience at no extra charge whenever they enter a retail store”
The title is misleading- you don’t have to be an AT&T subscriber.
Per the press release- “Now, anybody walking into a Barnes & Noble store anywhere in the country will have complimentary and unlimited access to the network at all store locations.”
and
“Now, we’re excited to be able to offer every Barnes & Noble customer the same great Wi-Fi experience at no extra charge whenever they enter a retail store.”
Where are you getting that its just AT&T customers?
It looks like its for everyone.
bout damn time B&N gives up the free wifi
LOL…i think AT&T is providing the free wifi. “Customers to get FREE AT&T Wi-Fi”
Seriously…also didn’t ATT customers already get free wifi?
Hey Zach where’d all the other BGR bloggers go lol? Seems like you the only writing all the articles these days.
This is good news. No biggie since AT
Hi all, I’m a manager at Barrnes & Noble. All Barnes & Noble bookstores now give customers free access to their wi-fi, whereas before, it was a pay service to AT&T which is our provider. So, come in, & sit for hours with your wi-fi accessable device, & browse for free while sipping on a much cheaper than $7 drink from our Barnes & Noble Café
@bob,
Yeah, we actually did. I got it on my iPhone when I went to B
Preparing for the netbooks I take it. Planning a back door route to beat Verizon at their own game .
I wonder who will actually get the Apple netbook. Verizon seems to be squeemish lately. Missed the iPhone, the Pre, and the first Android device launch. Wonder what other cellular network first topnotch device it will miss. Can you hear me now?
Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone).
@Cingulair,
All in the cycle of business my friend.
Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone) at: Loma Linda United States
Trouble with these free wifi is it becomes a hangout for lower middle class that can’t afford internet at home. They come in with their 2003 bulky laptops and plug them into the wall with cords stretching across the room.
Really not a comment… just excited to see my local B&N featured on the picture.
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&q=pittsburgh+barnes+and+noble+squirrel+hill&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&cid=0,0,4260217227018740487&ei=O3CHSpLtIIOktgew_NjnDA&ll=40.43723,-79.922962&spn=0,359.979057&z=16&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=40.437318,-79.922971&panoid=VZaXjO3omCPGt5RbInQV5Q&cbp=12,75.31,,0,-6.16