News America Marketing Signs Circle K Convenience Stores To Their In-store Network

NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- News America Marketing (NAM), the premier publisher of coupons in the U.S. and Canada, producing over 165 billion coupons annually¹, today announced that Circle K convenience stores, one of the largest convenience store chains in North America, with 3,050 U.S. locations will be joining its expansive in-store marketing network effective immediately. The agreement marks an expansion into a new class of trade for News America Marketing, which has so far focused on grocery, drug, office supply and mass merchandising stores.

News America Marketing, a division of News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWS), operates the popular online consumer coupon site SmartSource.com and publishes the Sunday coupon insert SmartSource Magazine which is delivered to over 74 million homes each week. It also launched the free iPad couponing app, SmartSource Xpress this past March.

The new partnership extends the value of NAM's in-store media network to all 3,050 company operated Circle K stores, as well as a significant number of franchise and affiliate locations. The agreement states that NAM will provide the majority of their in-store portfolio, including coupon machines, shelftalks, shelfvision video and tear pads.

"We appreciate Circle K's confidence in our partnership and performance in the convenience store class of trade," said Chris Mixson, President, News America Marketing. "We believe our programs will add significant value to their business and their customers."

"Circle K is a world-class organization and the largest corporately-owned convenience store chain in America," said Marty Garofalo, EVP, Trade, News America Marketing. "We are proud to have them as a partner and part of our growing network.  After significant testing, we are confident that our programs will help Circle K generate additional sales and incremental profit.  We look forward to working with them and continuing to tailor our services to their needs while offering our CPG clients an opportunity to extend their activity to include this leading chain."

Effective immediately, News America Marketing's in-store portfolio of SmartSource Coupon Machines, Shelftalks, Shelfvision Video, and Tear Pads will be available in over 3,000 Circle K convenience stores.

¹Based on NAM's average number of coupons per magazine, per region, per year.

News America Marketing^®, a division of News Corporation, is the premier single-source provider of consumer marketing services in the U.S. and Canada. The company's product portfolio, marketed under the SmartSource® brand name, consists of the first branded free-standing insert, known as SmartSource Magazine®, popular online consumer coupon site SmartSource.com, various in-store marketing products, merchandising services, database marketing tools and online promotions. These products and services allow marketers to deliver a brand message to millions of consumers each month via a network of 1,700+ newspapers/publications** and over 61,000* supermarket, drug, office, mass merchandisers, convenience and dollar-store locations across the country, including Kroger, Safeway, Publix, CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Staples, Family Dollar and Dollar General.

* Based on NAM's SSCM; In-store Network as of August 13-September 9, 2012  
**Market list effective July, 2012

Circle K is a banner of Couche-Tard. As of April 29, 2012, Laval, Quebec-based Couche-Tard had a network of 5,803 convenience stores, 4,216 of which include motor fuel dispensing, as well as agreements for the supply of motor fuel to 350 independent operator sites. Couche-Tard's network consists of 13 business units, including nine in the United States covering 42 states and the District of Columbia (primarily under the Circle K flag), and four in Canada covering all 10 provinces (primarily under the Mac's and Couche-Tard flags).

In addition, under licensing agreements, about 3,990 stores operate under the Circle K banner in nine countries (China, Guam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Mexico, Vietnam and United Arab Emirates). Following its acquisition of Statoil, Couche-Tard also operates a retail network across Scandinavia, Poland, the Baltics and Russia with approximately 2,300 stores

SOURCE News America Marketing