Retail News CRM

Tag: WH Smith

  • WH Smith expands King Power partnership into Singapore

    WH Smith expands King Power partnership into Singapore

    WH Smith has widened its franchise partnership with King Power Group (Hong Kong) to Singapore.

    Until now, the franchise partnership deal struck last year covered Hong Kong only.

    The new partnership aims to grow WH Smith’s presence in Singapore and explore opportunities in rail and metro stations, ferry terminals and commercial centres. It excludes airport locations which WH Smith will continue to run directly.

    “We believe in the strength of the WH Smith brand and its business expertise as a leading international news, books and convenience operator,” said King Power MD for travel retail and duty free, Sunil Tuli.

    “The King Power Group has more than 25 years’ travel retail business presence in Asia, and we are well placed to develop the WH Smith business in Singapore.”

    “We are pleased to have extended our partnership with King Power Group,” said WH Smith MD international, Phil McNally. “We continue to be ambitious about expanding the WH Smith brand in Asia and, today, we are active and strongly growing in six countries in the region – in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, India and China.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • WHSmith ventures into Hong Kong with new franchise

    WHSmith ventures into Hong Kong with new franchise

    UK bookchain WH Smith is to open stores in Hong Kong after securing a franchise agreement with King Power Group (Hong Kong). The WH Smith Hong Kong outlets will open in travel retail locations such as railway stations – there is no mention in the announcement of the airport.

    “We are currently present in six countries in the region: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, India and China, with excellent business partners and we are delighted to welcome King Power Group as a new franchise partner,” WH Smith chairman Louis de Bourgoing said.

    “We very much look forward to working together to grow our presence across Asia and bring the WH Smith offer to travelling customers in Hong Kong.”

    King Power Group operates more than 1000 stores in Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, North America and India. King Power Group travel retail MD Sunil Tuli described WH Smith as “an esteemed and leading news, books and convenience brand and operator globally.”

    “We have seen their international travel retail businesses grow over the past years and we trust that our collaboration will see good successes in Hong Kong.”

    WH Smith’s travel retail stores combine its core books and stationery offer, with convenience foods and travel accessories.

    Lees ook:

  • MyNews parent plans 150 new stores

    MyNews parent plans 150 new stores

    Malaysian convenience store operator Bison Consolidated plans to use the proceeds of an IPO to fund 150 new store openings by 2017.

    Bison currently has 237 newsstands and convenience stores under its brands, which include myNews, Newsplus, MagBit and The Front Page. It also runs WHSmith outlets in Malaysia, in a joint venture with UK’s WH Smith Plc.

    “It has always been our plan to expand our network of stores. With the proceeds raised from the initial public offering (IPO), certainly we will make use of it to expedite our expansion plan,” Bison founder and MD Dang Tai Luk told The Edge Financial Daily.

    Bison recorded a 15.5 per cent revenue increase last financial year to RM182.41 million (US$42.17 million) as its store network continued to grow. It currently claims 8.6 per cent of the convenience store market by network numbers and 8.3 per cent by revenue. 7-Eleven is the dominant convenience store brand in Malaysia with 1900 franchised stores.

    In the company’s draft prospectus, Bison says it will invest 45 per cent of the proceeds of the float in network expansion, but has not yet put a price on its shares.

    The company owns all its own stores – it does not franchise.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook: