NEW ZEALAND. LS Travel Retail Pacific has entered into an agreement with the administrator of book retailer REDgroup Retail to purchase ten Whitcoulls bookstores at New Zealand’s airports. The bookstores are located at Auckland (five), Wellington (two), Christchurch (two) and Rotorua (one). The sale price remains confidential.
Formerly known as Lagardère Services Asia Pacific, LS Travel Retail Pacific operates stores at airports and major transport hubs throughout Australia, as well as duty free operations in Noumea.
The New Zealand stores will be rebranded under the Relay name over the coming weeks.
Speaking about the move, LS Travel Retail Pacific CEO Scott Raisin said: “New Zealand is an important market within the Pacific region and we are excited to commence operations here with our global brand Relay.
“The transition of a business to new owners can be a traumatic time for its employees. We are delighted to be able to offer positions to the existing 100-plus employees and we look forward to them joining our team. On a commercial level, we acknowledge that the success of our New Zealand operation will benefit from the commitment and dedication of the local team.”
