Greggs is to install wireless broadband access across its 1,571 stores across the UK.

The roll-out will start this month with 100 shops per week and will be completed by the end of summer, following a deal with provider The Cloud.

Graeme Nash, head of customer and marketing at Greggs, the BB75 retailer, said: “We are constantly looking at ways of giving our customers a fantastic experience when shopping at Greggs. We have a number of outlets now with seating and our cafés and new coffee shops, Greggs Moment, are all ideal locations where our customers can benefit from free WiFi.”

Vince Russell, managing director at The Cloud, said: “Greggs might not be the kind of brand you immediately associate with WiFi, but this deal shows how mainstream this technology has become.

“It’s no longer the preserve of hotels or train stations, where businessmen log on to check their emails, it’s used by all sorts of people for everyday reasons, such as updating their Facebook, Twitter or Foursquare accounts when they’re on the go. It’s undeniable that the smartphone has changed consumer behaviour and now it’s changing the high street too.”

It is believed that Greggs hopes customers will use it on their smartphones to pass the time when sitting in the café areas in larger Greggs outlets.

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