• Wall Street Journal, Tuesday, August 10, 2010 10:45 AM

Sam's Club is installing free Wi-Fi in its more than 500 stores to help customers understand what Internet-connected TVs can do for them -- things like viewing their Facebook page or watching streaming video from Vudu, Ann Zimmerman reports. They'll also be better able to compare TV prices by accessing comparative shopping sites, of course, but Sam's Club CEO Brian Cornell says he's perfectly fine with that.

Wi-Fi is already available at Apple retail outlets, Best Buy and at TigerDirect's CompUSA. Experts tell Zimmerman that they expect more retailers to set up Wi-Fi to better demonstrate how products work. Retailers spend "all that money to put information online, so they want to make sure customers get the benefit of that, regardless of where they are shopping," says NPD Group analyst Stephen Baker.

During the holiday shopping season, "we will offer a superlative experience for consumers who want to understand how Internet TV options connect to their lifestyles and their other gear," says Best Buy spokesman Scott Morris. "Certainly, you can expect an unparalleled breadth of selection and highly competitive pricing."

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