Menzies Distribution has created a new logistics division to target business outside its core newspaper delivery operation.
Managing director David McIntosh said the company is now in talks with a number of high street retailers about distributing items other than printed material.
Menzies Logistics Solutions was developed to expand the use of Menzies Distribution’s fleet after its core newspaper and magazine deliveries have been made.
The new division lead by general manager Stuart McLean currently collects free publications from printers and delivers them to merchandisers at various commuter sites throughout London, as well as distributing brochures to more than 1,000 UK travel agents.
And McIntosh has now revealed that it is in talks with a number of high street retailers about possibly transporting pallets or individual items from town centres nationwide.
He said: “We are already visiting the high streets everyday with newspapers, magazines and travel brochures. We have a mixed 1,600 strong fleet from light commercials to artics and it makes sound business sense for us to extend our logistics offer to a wider customer base.”
Menzies Distribution currently delivers five million newspapers and 2.1 million magazines every day. In the travel sector it delivers 7.5 million brochures each month.
However, the newspaper market has been declining as a result of the growth on internet news services. According to figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations sales of the major national daily newspapers in 2012 were down nine per cent on 2011 at 8.9 million a day.
