The study was conducted over a 90 day period and focused on five Columbus Café locations in Paris. The HotSpot usage data was collected through free-hotspot.com’s monitoring system, which tracks anonymous user data in order to facilitate the company’s online advertising system.
Statistics showed that the FREE HotSpots attracted on average around 10 users per day during the week, and 7 users per day on the weekends. These figures rank at least two to three times higher than the connection rates reported by paid HotSpot providers.
With the yearly investment costs for the HotSpots based on a €25 per month charge for DSL for each of the 5 Columbus Café locations studied, and per-person sales estimated at €3 per visit, free-hotspot.com was able to calculate the return on investment to Columbus Café for installing Certified FREE HotSpots in their locations. Results showed that the amount of extra sales revenue generated is 27 times more than the operating cost of the FREE HotSpot itself (i.e, the DSL subscription).
The following observations were drawn from this study:
- The FREE HotSpot is attracting new customers to the cafés: the HotSpots are currently attracting around 9-10 users per HotSpot per day during the working week.
- Most HotSpot traffic occurred on weekdays: Workday traffic is 50% higher than the weekend usage - only 6 people per day used the HotSpot on Saturdays and Sundays. The weekend traffic brings the overall daily average to 7.4 users per day.
- Almost all the HotSpot use occurred during normal business hours: over 97% of the HotSpot users used the HotSpot during the normal operating hours. This means that less then 3% of the users were using the Wi-Fi signal during the night-time hours (20:00 to 6:00).
- The majority of users were active during the “down time” in the afternoon. Over 54% of users visited the HotSpot during the afternoon (13:00-18:00). Morning traffic, from 07:00 to 12:00, made up 35%.
- The lunch hour was not a popular time for the HotSpot: Only 10% of users were using the HotSpot during the lunch hour (12:00-13:00) – this equals an average of less than one (1) person per HotSpot per day using the Wi-Fi during the lunch rush.
- No “squatting” – the average length of time a user stayed connected to the Wi-Fi was only 89 minutes.
“These results prove that offering FREE Wi-Fi increases revenue,” said Joe Brunoli, Vice President of HotSpot Market Development for free-hotspot.com. “Moreover, our study supports what industry observers have already asserted, namely that a free HotSpot results in considerably greater profits for the venue owner than paid HotSpot programmes can bring.”
Luc Heitz, Marketing Director of Columbus Café, said that offering FREE Wi-Fi to his customers was an important part of his company’s philosophy. “We strive to provide a comfortable, relaxed and productive atmosphere for our clientele,” he said. “Wi-Fi access is one more amenity, one more added service that we can offer to make our existing customers feel at home, and to attract new customers to the Columbus Café experience.”
About free-hotspot.com:
free-hotspot.com is rapidly building Europe’s largest community of FREE wireless Internet users. The company has launched a pan-European programme to bring free Wi-Fi to cafés, hotels, pubs, restaurants, retail centres, transit centres and other public venues. Under this programme, free-hotspot.com provides the equipment and expertise needed to operate a FREE HotSpot at no cost to the venue owner, and then promotes these free HotSpots through a combination of local and national marketing campaigns. The company also maintains Europe’s most comprehensive directory of free HotSpots in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish, which currently lists more than 9,000 locations worldwide. free-hotspot.com is located in Dublin, Ireland. free-hotspot.com holds the prestigious WBI (Wireless Broadband Innovation) Award for Best Public Wi-Fi Product 2006.
To learn more about the free HotSpot programme or to find the free HotSpot nearest you, please visit: www.free-hotspot.com.
Press contacts:
Emma Keenan / Johanna Toiviainen
Open2Europe
Phone: +33 1 55 02 14 59 / 58
e-mail: e.keenan@open2europe.com / j.toiviainen@open2europe.com
About Columbus Café®:
Columbus Café is committed to offering its customers a warm and welcoming place. Columbus Café was named in honour of the legendary Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, because it conjures up the idea of exploring new territories and ideas. The espresso bar was born in Italy before making its way to America and crossing the Atlantic back to France. Barista® is the Italian tradition of coffee preparation. This is more than just making a cup of coffee. It is an art form, and one that Columbus Café is proud to carry on.
Founded in 1994, there are now 27 Columbus Cafés throughout France employing a total of 150 people.
To learn more about Columbus Café visit www.columbuscafe.com.
Press contacts:
Columbus Café:
Jean-Gérard Galvez
Président
Columbus Café
Phone. +33 1 44 51 60 00
e-mail: jgalvez@columbuscafe.com
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