Relax and Have Another Slurpee While You Surf...

[Brad Adrian]

<a href="http://www.computerworld.com/mobiletopics/mobile/story/0,10801,79047,00.html">http://www.computerworld.com/mobiletopics/mobile/story/0,10801,79047,00.html</a><br /><br />As more and more people become enamored with the idea of nationwide WiFi access and extending the Starbucks/T-Mobile model for providing WiFi connectivity, I guess it was inevitable that somebody would take it to some absurd extreme. Leave it to Toshiba and Circle K (yes, the petrol station people) to do just that.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/adrian/circlek.gif" /><br /><br />Several news services reported the story similarly to ComputerWorld:<br /><br />"The public access Wi-Fi "hot spot" market just got a little hotter as Toshiba Computer Systems Group (TCSG) formally launched a project to deploy 10,000 hot spots in the U.S. by the end of the year...Toshiba has an agreement with WorkingWild Inc., a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based public access Wi-Fi company, that plans to install Wi-Fi service in 15,000 Circle K convenience stores owned by Houston-based ConocoPhillips."<br /><br />While I applaud companies that are willing to push the envelope with deployment of new technologies, I have to really wonder about the logic of making convenience stores WiFi hotspots. Sure, at Starbucks, enticing customers to stick around and order a second latte by offering WiFi connectivity might actually reach a breakeven point. But I'm having a hard time drawing the same conclusion when Slurpees and the threat of armed robbery are factored in!<br /><br />Is it me, or would you hang out at a convenience store, surfing wirelessly? If not what kind of locations WOULD you spend time at with your WiFi toys?

[Larry L]

I'm not very familiar with the Circle K convenience stores name.

I thought that they were truck stops. If so they are mobile professionals.

I have been in truck stops, and these guys have to hook up, for many reasons

[dMores]

maybe they think everyone who shops in their store will check their email to see if the spouse has sent one with a list of groceries to purchase.

but i agree. it doesn't really make sense except for the people who live right next-door :)

[SnAPPUrU-nyan-ko]

"Is it me, or would you hang out at a convenience store, surfing wirelessly? If not what kind of locations WOULD you spend time at with your WiFi toys?"

I'd kind of like to sit at a park, underneath the sun. I guess that isn't good for business, so how about the food court at the mall?

[DrtyBlvd]

Does it neccessarily follow that this is for customers only? Might not they be using it for internal usage as well (I'm guessing stock control/replenishment purposes perhaps) :?:

[kfluet]

I would assume that they are expecting people to use the WiFi from their cars in the Circle-K parking lot.

[Mike Temporale]

so how about the food court at the mall?

SpotnikMobile.com has done this in Toronto. A bunch of food courts in the underground have become WiFi hotspots. Too bad they keep having authentication problems, becuase it has great potentional.

I think the Cirlce K may seem out of place, but if I was on a road trip across the US, it would be really cool to know that when I stop of gas, I could download my email and check on my servers. 8)

[schwuk]

Obligatory Bill & Ted (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0096928) quote:

Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K (http://www.moviequotequiz.com/othersounds/CircleK.wav)

[tospappy]

The more opportunities to connect the better it will be. The problem as I see it is that there is no cooperation among the network providers. Somebody needs to resell all the services under one network so you can connect to any one of them with one id and one payment. Maybe this is what Boingo is all about, but so far they have not aggregated enough of these networks. Imagine if you could connect at any of the hotspots, anytime no matter who operates it. Now, that I would be worth some serious bucks.

[cherring]

My house is about 800 metres from the mall. I want wifi in the mall, how much cable do you think I need to get some internet access in the mall? (rhetoric)

[Fats]

Brad,

I'll be honest, if I know I'd have to stop soon to get gas, or use the restroom on a trip, and I saw a sign for a Circle K (which by the way I've Never seen in my part of the country - Michigan) that had a wifi hotspot I'd definently stop there rather than the shell or mobile (come to think of it, MOBILE should start doing this - It'd be a true Mobile station).

Granted, I always travel with my ipaq 5455 so I can connect. But many many people now have wifi on their laptops and with the new Centrino chip with the onboard Wifi, many more people will be able to utilize hotspots.

I think it makes a lot of sense. Remember back in the days when before mobile phones, we used to search for gas stations to use the pay phone phone - we always knew that there would be one at the gas station....

Just my two cents.

[rfischer]

NEWSFLASH!

Last night yet another Circle-K fell victim to a robbery in Anywhere, USA. The suspects made off with $132.79 cash from the register and approximately $11000.00 worth of customer owned wireless PDAs.

Circle-K declined comment....

:lol:

[don dre]

I definitely would think this woudl be handy if I were travelling. Gas, bathroom, email, and perhaps directions from mapblast. When I was in college everyone went to the mobil station b/c they had a no surcharge ATM. (here in PA everyone goes to wawa for that reason...and the food isn;t prepackaged.) I would def choose Circle K over other gas stations if I had a need. If I were a sales rep I might have more of a need. I also agree that a central payment standard should be agreed upon. Or perhaps something similar to the ATM network like Star/Cirrus etc where a number of companies handle payments but they are almost universally accepted. I think this to be a better solution than one centrally owned network. AT & T anybody?

[bdegroodt]

Most excellent! I give that 2 thumbs up for putting a little more convenience into the convenience store! As the previous poster mentions, gas, atm, restroom and a quick email check and the road trip is back on!

[JonathanWardRogers]

Email, directions, transfer money, check balances, hotel reservations, airplane tickets, etc. The internet is good for more than just browsing while hanging out. It is a utility.

Jon

[GregWard]

How come wifi is being encouraged around Gas Stations and yet you're supposed to turn off your mobile phone? I know the technologies are slightly different ... but I'm confused. :?

Then again - how come it's dangerous to use your mobile in a Gas Station but some phone companies (in the UK at least) are now hiding transmitters inside the Gas Stations sign as they can't get permission to but them anywhere else? Now I'm very confused. :? :?

Oh - now I get it. One is about customer convenience the other is about making bucks. :evil:

[David McNamee]

The only time I hang out in a convenience store is if they have a working Donkey Kong in the corner :D

WiFi only makes sense in places where the model is for people to hang around. Bookstores, cafes, restaurants, airports... these all make sense. There's definitely revenue for a bookstore or cafe to generate from people staying longer. Do people buy more the longer they hang around a convenience store? And would people want to spend more time in a convenience store, since the very nature of the store is for people to come in, pay for their items and leave as quickly as possible?

WiFi at a convenience store seems to make more sense when we start talking about Car.NET and pushing special offers/coupons down to the car.

[luebster]

It's more about customer loyalty than anything else. In today's retail marketplace, it's all about price. How many "price checker" websites are there? Dozens, I'm sure. I used to pull off the highway and fill up my gas tank at the station with the least expensive gas, no matter the company. It was all about getting the best price.

Now that I am a member of UPromise (http://www.upromise.com), I ONLY get gas at Mobil/Exxon stations. Customer loyalty. I am now loyal to Mobil/Exxon because they are helping pay for my daughter's college education (or will be when she enrolls). It doesn't hurt that they are no more expensive than most other gas stations.

Retailers need to differentiate themselves somehow other than price. This is what Circle K is doing. If they can establish a loyal customer base of people who seek them out because they have wi-fi, they will have a head start as more convenience store chains follow suit.

[JonathanWardRogers]

WiFi only makes sense in places where the model is for people to hang around.

The same thing was said about telephones after their introduction into society. Now, can you think of a convenience store that doesn't have a pay phone?

Jon

[Brad Adrian]

I guess the thing that is most confusing to me is the business model. How is Circle K going to recapture what it is spending for this service? Simply attracting more customers won't do it.

Starbucks and other restaurants, on the other hand, have a shot at breakeven because creating hotspots gets customers to spend a little more time on the premises and order a bit more food or drink. Granted, they also charge for the service, but as hotspots become more common, the fee they can charge is going to be driven down.

[Jimmy Dodd]

I think this is a good idea. I don't believe they are wanting people to hang around and surf the net just to sell slurpees and microwave burritos. I think they are trying to lure in people for gas etc. with the promiose of quick access to email, etc.

This would be a great idea for gas stations along the interstates in the US, especially the larger stations that include resteraunts and showers for truckers. State run rest stops would be great, too. Not everyone does their business travelling strictly by air, y'know.

[luebster]

ZapLane (http://www.zaplane.com/index.htm) is the provider of the WiFi service. It is $4.95 for 24-hour access or $24.95 for 30-day access. I would guess that Circle-K is simply getting a cut of that to allow ZapLane to install their hardware in the stores.

So I guess Circle-K makes money on this deal regardless. The question is whether ZapLane turns a profit eventually.

[Janak Parekh]

How come wifi is being encouraged around Gas Stations and yet you're supposed to turn off your mobile phone? I know the technologies are slightly different ... but I'm confused. :?
Good point. I think the whole mobile phone thing started because apparently a few mobile batteries could spark if there was poor contact. Wouldn't other WiFi-enabled devices do that, too?

In this case, I think the mobile phone decree is just pure speculation and fear. There isn't the threat of RF interference as there is on planes (in theory, at least).

--janak

[Scott R]

Now that I am a member of UPromise (http://www.upromise.com), I ONLY get gas at Mobil/Exxon stations. Customer loyalty. I am now loyal to Mobil/Exxon because they are helping pay for my daughter's college education (or will be when she enrolls). It doesn't hurt that they are no more expensive than most other gas stations.
My wife signed us up for UPromise as well. I gave her a hard time about it because I just don't see a few pennies here and there amounting to much. Then again, with gas prices on the rise, maybe we'll have our daughter's future tuition paid for by the end of this year.

Scott

[danmanmayer]

But imagine when your driving and pull off just to get gas. Would you site in your car and check some e-mail? Would you check the directions if you think you were off route? Would you send a friend a e-mail to let them know how close you are on the 10 drive? I would do all these quick things adds 5 to 10 mins to a stop just that much more likely to buy a soda and a munchy. I think it might not every make them money... But it would be great for me.

[bkerrins]

I think it's a great idea. It would be really easy to stop and get gas...and while I'm sitting there watching the dollar total creep higher, I could check out what movies are playing, quite possibly buy my tickets through fandango or some sort of system, send an email to a friend that I'll be late because I had to stop for gas...and someday as VoIP becomes more popular I'll be able to ditch the mobile phone.

[Steven Cedrone]

This could finally end the "men won't ever stop at a gas station and ask for directions" problem my wife keeps talking about. I would actually volunteer to stop and check the directions now! :lol:

Steve

[malcolmsharp]

I usually drive home (from Colorado to Louisianna) once a year for Christmas. I take the dirve in 2 days.

If I knew of a gas station that would allow me to check my mail and send my Mom updates as I went, I'd stop there rather than some other place.

I'm surprised we aren't seeing truck stops do this. Those places (the big ones) are like little towns. I've already seen some with pay computers and selling those internet access cards. I've also seen net access for parked trucks for those staying overnight in the cabs.

All it would take would be one large Truck Stop chain to promote a nation wide wireless access network in their locations, with an ID that will work automatically at each place, and I think it will be a gold mine.

Before you dismiss this, I've already seen truckers use computer and laptops. I think a Pocket PC would be a great aid for a trucker, given the scheduling, maps and paperwork they have to keep.

[bandersnatch]

I don't know how they plan to make money, but those of you who aren't in Arizona don't quite have the same impression of Circle K... I'm in Phoenix and there is a Circle K on almost every major intersection. I live halfway between two of them...each a half-mile away. Another mile up the road, there's another one. WiFi access through Circle K would approach cell phone coverage in some areas. :D

[feo]

Maybe we are just trying to read to much into it...
Or maybe we are just thinking that a whole multilayer marketing strategy is behind this concept, when al they are doing is trying to bank on the concept that people will want to read their email while they are at the toilet :D

[luebster]

My wife signed us up for UPromise as well. I gave her a hard time about it because I just don't see a few pennies here and there amounting to much. Then again, with gas prices on the rise, maybe we'll have our daughter's future tuition paid for by the end of this year.
I don't want to turn this into a UPromise thread, but there's much more to it than just gas (as I'm sure you know). My wife and I get money back (granted, usually pennies at a time) for about 1/4 of our total grocery bill. Based on the 6 months we've been on, we should have close to $2000 when our daughter is 18. As more and more companies participate, that dollar amount could go up.

The way I look at it is, it didn't cost me anything and the only behavior it has changed is that I go to Mobil/Exxon for fuel instead of "Cheap Price of the Day Gas-o-Rama." $2000 is $2000. :D

[ctmagnus]

No, no, no, no, no...

Circle K (http://www.circlek.com/) sells Icees (http://www.circlek.com/cgi-bin/b2cpt01/scripts/content.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1425525645.1048019623@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccccadchjmmfmjjcfimcemndhhgdgjg.0&Tool=null&Nav=products&Task=null&Site=ck&oid=14094&catoid=-8318), Slurpees (http://www.7-eleven.com/products/product_detail.asp?catalog%5Fname=7ElevenNew&category%5Fname=Tasty+Beverages&subcategory%5Fname=Frozen+Refreshment&product%5Fid=00072&thumb=1) are a 7-11 (http://www.7-eleven.com/) product.

[Scott R]

I don't want to turn this into a UPromise thread, but there's much more to it than just gas (as I'm sure you know). My wife and I get money back (granted, usually pennies at a time) for about 1/4 of our total grocery bill. Based on the 6 months we've been on, we should have close to $2000 when our daughter is 18. As more and more companies participate, that dollar amount could go up.
That $2000 will get you one-year's tuition at the University of McDonalds. ;)

Just kidding. I agree, every penny counts. This way it takes it out of my hands. If it was in my hands, I'd end up spending it on something.

Scott

[Brad Adrian]

No, no, no, no, no...Circle K sells Icees, 7Eleven sells Slurpees...
LOL!! As I've said many times on this site, I am always amazed at the incredible breadth of knowledge demonstrated by our readership.