Borders to give free wi-fi in stores

Borders Group Inc employee Mary Davis (R) talks about the new design of the Borders superstore which includes computers and movie screens in Pittsburgh Township, Michigan February 13, 2008 file photo

SEATTLE (Reuters) - U.S. bookseller Borders Group Inc said on Tuesday that it will provide free wireless Internet access in about 500 of its U.S. stores as it works to lure more consumers to its brick-and-mortar shops.

The company said it is working under a deal with Verizon to equip those stores with the facility, which it expects will be available by mid-October.

Many retailers around the United States, like Starbucks Corp, already offer wireless Internet service in their stores, though a payment is required in some cases to use the service.

Booksellers have had to face a persistent slump in the book industry as consumers have headed online to websites like Amazon.com Inc. Borders itself has been exiting shrinking categories like music and putting greater focus on helping shoppers pick books.

(Reporting by Aarthi Sivaraman in Seattle; Editing by Richard Chang)