Kiwi website catches eye of Aussie giant
Nzgirl has been operating as a free online magazine since 1999 and is pitched primarily at women aged in their 20s. Its readers can also buy a limited range of merchandise such as clothing, cosmetics and fashion accessories from the site and sign up for a VIP card which entitles them to discounts at retailers such as Hannahs and movie chain Hoyts.
The company has opened two bricks and mortar retail outlets under the nzgirl banner, at Newmarket in Auckland and on Customhouse Quay in central Wellington. It is not known whether the pending sale will include the shops. However, it is understood the deal will not involve a related site, bigfella.co.nz (which caters to the blokes) and is operated by Freer’s husband Ken.
ACP, owned by James Packer-controlled PBL in Australia, is this country’s largest magazine publisher, with a stable including Woman’s Day, Australian Women’s Weekly, Next, Taste, Metro and North & South, as well as trade magazines Auto Trader and Property Press. Last October it bought fashion news website Runway Reporter. In the year to June 2006, ACP reported a profit of $9.3m from revenue of $173.3m.