Toronto mall first in city to offer public hotspot in food court

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Property management at the Dufferin Mall are accustomed to staying atop rising trends, but starting one is newer territory and it’s proving to be a hit with the mall’s patrons.

The shopping centre has been offering wireless Internet (Wi-Fi) service to all of its visitors free of charge since early June. Customers with laptops or Wi-Fi enabled devices have been able to freely surf the Net while seated at the shopping centre’s food court since June. Mall officials said the Wi-Fi would be expanded throughout the 567,000-square-foot complex.

“We’ve been eagerly anticipating the launch of this new service to help our customers enjoy their mall experience... I was really surprised and excited to learn we were the first mall in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) to offer a Wi-Fi. It just seems like a natural (fit),” said Lana Vukelic, general manager at Dufferin Mall. “The whole Internet phenomenon is an extreme explosion, particularly with the advent of smaller, portable devices such as the iPhone. We understand people, our customers, want to be connected and that communication is very important.”

Wi-Fi is apart of an overall transformation at Dufferin Mall, Vukelic explained. As the retail market itself is an unending sea of change, shopping centres like Dufferin Mall must adapt accordingly.

“We’re seeing a lot of students and young, single, urban professionals come into the mall and they’re all carrying a digital device of some kind. Those are the folks we’re targeting,” she said.

“We’ve done extensive research to understand what things are important to (these two demographics) and that research has shown us the market is changing. The young people that work downtown and who are coming (to Dufferin Mall) have different desires and we’re trying to cater to them; there are fewer family groups that are urban coming to the shopping centre.”
Dufferin Mall partnered with FatPort, a Vancouver-based Wi-Fi provider, to implement and maintain the system. Users connect to the network through an access code that is provided to them by the mall’s guest services.

Unlike other Wi-Fi access points in the city, customers do not have to be subscribers, create a profile or prepay for their Internet usage, explained Bilal Kabalan, general manager for FatPort.
Shoppers are initially granted an hour of free Wi-Fi service. Additional hours can be obtained by returning to Guest Services for a new regenerated access code. Once an Internet browser is opened, it would automatically redirect the user to FatPort’s login screen to enter the access code and begin surfing.

“FatPort provides a seamless Wi-Fi experience,” he said. “Our networks run on our own management software built on a proprietary platform, and is one of the most secure systems available.”

Wi-Fi functions similarly to a two-way radio signal, transmitting information through an antenna. The user’s computer decodes the signal through a built-in router, allowing access to the network.

Wi-Fi connections make access to information easier, while eliminating cables and wiring. Most modern laptops are equipped with built-in wireless network adaptors. For users with an older technology, a wireless adapter would allow them to connect.

Vukelic added the Wi-Fi is not an expensive proposition based upon the return-on-investment the mall would reap.

“This is just one of the innovations the mall is putting forward to provide unique services to our customers... this is a very vital and essential service,” she added.

The shopping centre is located on Dufferin Street south of Bloor Street West and it features major retailers such as H&M, Winners, Wal-Mart, Toys 'R' Us and a No Frills Supermarket. Owned by Primaris REIT and under the management of Oxford Properties Group, Dufferin Mall features more than 120 shops and services and attracts 10 million shoppers annually.