Coffee Republic has announced it will provide free wireless internet access for customers across the majority of its UK coffee bars.

The new service, "aimed at providing Coffee Republic's broad customer base with added-value service", is angled at both business professionals looking for a comfortable "mobile office", as well as laptopped-up student types.

Coffee Republic says using their free service could save a regular pay to access Wi-Fi user up to £234 a year over rivals that charge around a fiver an hour for access.

Steven Bartlett, Coffee Republic boss said: "The launch of free Wi-Fi in Coffee Republic Bars will be a huge benefit and attraction to our customers ... This new service in our bars will give them a new evolution in technology in a warm, comfortable environment".

Obviously, it's not all just the benefit of the customer, the chain has revealed that two of the bars which trialled the service, Reading and Weybridge, had a "noticeable increase in footfall".

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>> Via - Retail Bulletin