Posted on Thu, May 19, 2011 @ 03:16 PM
Originally published in Bizjournals
Boingo Wireless Inc. has been tapped to provide wireless Internnet services at The Grove in Los Angeles and The Americana at Brand in Glendale.
Boingo signed the agreement with Caruso Affiliated, which owns both malls. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.
Boingo, which provides Wi-Fi services at more than 325,000 hotspots worldwide, said it expects to begin services in June.
Boingo’s Wi-Fi service will be available throughout the common areas of both malls, including open-air gathering spots and restaurants. Caruso also will extend a courtesy “mobile concierge” service to visitors; shopping center employees equipped with iPads will be available to provide help to customers using Wi-Fi services.
The Grove and The Americana at Brand, which see about 18 million and 16 million visitors per year, respectively, are two of Caruso’s flagship retail developments. The Americana is currently undergoing a remodel and expansion.
“The Grove and The Americana at Brand are truly elite venues among shopping centers,” said Colby Goff, Boingo’s senior vice president of strategy and business development, in a statement. “The market penetration of Wi-Fi enabled smartphones among their shopping demographic makes them logical locations for Caruso to roll out Wi-Fi services.”
More than 50 percent of smartphone users compare prices, locate stores and search for discounts while shopping, and 67 percent of users under 35 years old do the same, Boingo said, citing a study by Chadwick Martin Bailey and iModerate Research Technologies.