2 Billion Copies per Year!
As a periodical and book supplier, The News Group distributes more than 4500 different magazines and well over 10,000 book titles. We take pride in delivering excellent service with category management, merchandising, and first-to-market products. The News Group's broad reach and large infrastructure across North America effectively receives, processes, delivers and tracks over 2 billion periodical & book copies each year.
The News Group is the largest periodical wholesaler in North America. We operate in 42 states in the continental US, including Hawaii and in Canada, our operations span the Nation. In the U.S., some of our major customers include: Kroger, Safeway, Albertson's, AAFES, Target and Publix. In Canada, our retail clients include: Loblaw Group Of Companies Inc, Shoppers Drug Mart, HDS Retail, Safeway, London Drugs, 7-11, Indigo/ Chapters, BC Ferries, Overwaitea and Metro. For our feature retail client profile click here.
Not Just Magazines and Books Anymore
The News Group has taken a serious look at its expertise and has realized we have core competencies that provide unique opportunities in the marketplace to help retailers and vendors grow their businesses. We have put in motion what we will become in the future and while we have one hundred years of history to draw upon, we maintain an entrepreneurial spirit to drive the business forward long into that future. The Reading Category remains our main focus, with Logistics, Merchandising and Category Management all collectively functioning to diversify our company, while providing retailers and vendors results.
A Jim Pattison Group of Companies’ Member
The News Group is proud to be a member of the Jim Pattison Group of Companies. Headquartered in Vancouver BC, Canada and with over 431 locations world-wide, the Pattison Group of Companies has a strong and positive market reputation, with most companies taking leadership status within their respective industry. This privately owned company is the third largest in Canada and includes a richly diverse mosaic of successful companies. Operating divisions are in Food Retail / Distribution, Food Processing, Packaging, Illuminated Signs, Media, Entertainment, Automotive, Export Services, Trade, Financial, and Real Estate. For more information click here.
Canada – A Bit Of Our History
First and Oldest Periodical Distributor
The News Group, as it is known and operates today, is the result of over a century’s worth of sales, skill, effort, and evolution. In fact, when the roots of our Company are traced back to its inception, we distinguish ourselves as pioneers: We are Canada’s first and oldest periodical distributor! For more information on our founders, click here.
Canada - A Greatly Changed Landscape
Today, In Canada, there are four key pillars that support our magazine and book distribution network. These pillars span the breadth of the nation. Atlantic Canada, Ontario, the Prairies and BC. Until 1997, each of them operated within The News Group division of the Jim Pattison Group; however they were largely stand-alone and independently run operations with different banners.
The change in our industry toward consolidation, which began in Canada in 1996, led to enormous change on the magazine wholesaler landscape. In 1996 there were 26 wholesalers in Canada. Today, The News Group is the only true national wholesaler. Where many wholesalers had once provided services to small geographic markets, now only a handful operates across the vast expanse of our country.
The News Group North American Brand
1997 represented the beginning of branding our Company as The News Group and the adaptation of best practices across our network. As we moved into an intense share-of-market battle, we had to find innovative ways to operate smarter and faster, and to trim our costs wherever possible. The way the Company stands today, is the product of years of change that predate the start of the consolidation mentioned above … all the way back to 1907!
U.S. A. – Our Recent History
“Prosperity is a great teacher, adversity a greater.” - William Hazlett
The intense market share battle also happened in the United States. The difference was that fierce competition along with other market pressures left the health of the US wholesaling industry in a much more fragile state. On February 7th, 2009 the wholesaler supply-chain struggles became clearly evident as a major US wholesaler suspended normal business operations, thereby leaving thousands of retail customers across the U.S. without a source of supply.
Our ability to service our retailer customers was also greatly encumbered as we were locked out of Prologix East, a Joint Venture between us and the exiting wholesaler. 60 days later, several million dollars investment made, countless hours of our team and our partners coming together beyond expectation to do “what it takes”, we began to see the light at the end of the tunnel in consistently getting product to consumers.
Throughout this process, we hired 3,800 hundred employees, purchased 1,300 trucks, acquired 15 Distribution Centers, and 50 depots to service our customers and our suppliers throughout the U.S.A.
After the purchase of the assets, our infrastructure now shows 27 Distribution Centers strategically located throughout the US to provide the best customer service to our retail customers and suppliers. Through our News Group LP partnership, we now employ 8,600 employees throughout this system and have 2,500 trucks, and 120 depots. For Where We Operate, click here.
The News Group LP is a partnership, consisting of 5 separate ownership groups: The Jim Pattison Group operating in ProLogix East; ProLogix West, NGDS Midwest, and NGDS Alaska. John Kroeger operates The News Group Central in the south central U.S.; Cowley News Operating in Mid-Central US, MPPG which is a partnership of its own servicing the Great Plains area and finally, Benjamin News operating in Northern Idaho and Montana. Together we are The News Group LP, and our footprint serves 90% of the continental US, Hawaii and Alaska.