FlyingPig.co.nz Spreads its Wings

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FlyingPig.co.nz Spreads its Wings

Leading Internet Retailer Announces
Exclusive Etailing Partnership With travel.co.nz

Auckland – 19 January 2000 – Leading Internet retailer FlyingPig.co.nz today announced it is entering an exclusive etailing partnership with Australasia’s largest online travel provider to offer travel sales and services to the New Zealand public.

Through partner travel.co.nz, a subsidiary of Australia’s largest online travel provider travel.com.au, the new service will give kiwi leisure travellers access to the best value travel in New Zealand. Consumers will get access to easy-to-use scheduling and booking information, including online reservations and ticket booking and sales services. It will also deliver access to a wide range of information for travel planning including the ability to research destinations and compare prices.

The partnership between FlyingPig.co.nz and travel.co.nz is exclusive in the business-to-consumer etailing market. travel.co.nz launches its own e-commerce site in February and has established partnerships with business-to-business e-commerce operators.

According to FlyingPig.co.nz executive chairman Stefan Preston, the partnership allows both companies to maximise the potential of the burgeoning online travel market.

“Kiwis love to travel, and we believe New Zealand consumers are ready for a safe, serious and attractive online travel service,” says Preston. “Since we launched in November last year FlyingPig.co.nz has become a trusted service provider. We’re well-placed to provide such a travel service alongside our existing categories of books, videos, software and stationery.”

“Travel has already replaced computers as the number one business-to-consumer e-commerce category. IT industry analyst IDC predicts that by 2002, a third of New Zealanders will buy travel online. According to GartnerGroup, 75% of people with Internet access research travel information online before booking and it forecasts that worldwide travel will be a $30 billion industry by 2001. Our partnership with travel.co.nz combines online expertise and brand recognition with industry knowledge and supplier and customer relationships to offer travelling consumers exciting range, convenience, comparison and affordability.”
“We looked to partner with a business-to-consumer e-commerce leader as part of our online retailing channel strategy,” says travel.co.nz Managing Director Greg Southcombe. “This partnership will help us achieve our aim of being New Zealand’s number one Internet travel company.”

“FlyingPig.co.nz’s an established destination with a rapidly growing customer base, which makes it an ideal partner. In return, we bring strong supplier relationships, fantastic value travel products, all backed by more than 100 travel experts.”

“Together we have created a travel micro-site integrated within the FlyingPig.co.nz site to provide travel services to FlyingPig.co.nz customers,” says Preston. “Consumers will be able to access these travel services by selecting a tab at the top of the frame, just as they do with our other categories such as videos or books.”

“The service will definitely be offering discounts and special deals to registered FlyingPig.co.nz customers when it’s launched in late March. Another bonus for consumers is the ability to purchase travel guides and armchair travel reading at the same time as they arrange their tickets.”
As with other licensing relationships, the partnership between FlyingPig.co.nz and travel.co.nz leverages the “clicks and mortar” business model. travel.co.nz has traded in New Zealand over the last 24 years as Jetsave Travel and has a strong customer base and retail presence.

About FlyingPig.co.nz

Launched in October 1999, FlyingPig.co.nz is New Zealand’s first Internet Supersite. It offers New Zealand customers a wide range of products and services including books, videos, software and stationery. Backed by leading retailers Pacific Retail Group, Whitcoulls and e-commerce company Advantage Group, FlyingPig.co.nz is a business-to-consumer e-commerce site which combines online and offline retail expertise. Further background information is available at www.flyingpig.co.nz.

About travel.co.nz

Next month, travel.co.nz launches in New Zealand as the country’s largest and most comprehensive business and consumer travel e-commerce site. The company’s heritage goes back to 1976 and, over the past 24 years, it has operated as Jetsave Travel. The company has annual sales of $NZ 50 million achieved through a network of over 100 expert travel brokers available to service customers by phone, fax, mail, as well as email. travel.co.nz is a fully owned subsidiary of Australia’s largest online travel provider, travel.com.au (ASX: TVL).

ENDS

For more information, please contact:

Stefan Preston, FlyingPig.co.nz, +64 9 358 5050, 021 685 920 stefan@flyingpig.co.nz

Allan Botica, Botica Conroy & Associates, 021 400 500, allanb@bca.co.nz

Greg Southcombe, travel.co.nz, 025 894 666, greg@travel.co.nz

Tim Hunt, TCMG Ltd, 025 846 264, tim@tcmg.co.nz

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