News Release
March 16, 2000
Now there’s Xtra for FlyingPig
In a New Zealand first, two heavyweights of the Internet world have agreed to share online traffic flow and content
across their sites.
Leading e-commerce player FlyingPig.co.nz yesterday (March 15) signed what it calls a “breakthrough” agreement with
Xtra.co.nz making FlyingPig.co.nz its preferred merchant of key retail categories.
Xtra is New Zealand’s biggest Internet service provider while FlyingPig.co.nz is the country’s leading e-commerce
retailer.
The long-term agreement has been set up to cover many existing and future retail categories marketed by FlyingPig.co.nz.
FlyingPig.co.nz executive chairman Stefan Preston said the deal was the first local example of the Amazon / Yahoo type
relationship.
“What we have here is a unique marriage of online content and e-commerce in New Zealand, supported by an established
telecommunications giant and an offline retail partnerships. It’s a breakthrough agreement.”
Xtra is owned and operated by Telecom New Zealand Limited while major stakeholders in FlyingPig.co.nz are Pacific Retail
Group, Whitcoulls and Advantage Group.
Mr Preston said visitors to the Xtra site would be offered “contextual links” to FlyingPig.co.nz.
“An example would be where there is a story on the Xtra site related to, say, the America’s Cup we might promote a
special offer on the new release America’s Cup video.
“Our teams will be working together to identify opportunities where we can mutually add value to each other’s
businesses,” he said.
Mr Preston said like all good partnerships there were major benefits for both parties.
Xtra general manager Graham Mitchell said the portal gained added depth to its site.
“And, of course, we also gain an alliance with what is the leading business-to-consumer Internet site in New Zealand
that enables us to enhance our service by marrying product with content.
“This is also huge for FlyingPig.co.nz. They’re gaining an alliance with New Zealand’s highest traffic Internet site,”
Mr Mitchell said.
Mr Preston said FlyingPig.co.nz couldn’t be more pleased with the association with Xtra.
“It’s like taking a suburban shopping mall and putting it fair and square in the middle of the high street of New
Zealand’s biggest city.
“Really it’s just the first of a number of exciting plans we’ve got in the pipeline,” he said.
He said development of the relationship would commence once the marriage of IT functions had been completed.
FlyingPig aimed to be New Zealand’s most customer-centric company where its visitors could find anything they may want
to buy online for an easier and more convenient shopping experience, Mr Preston said.
He said customers linking to FlyingPig through Xtra would experience the site’s existing customer security safeguards.
Xtra has about 250,000 customers and its base is growing by 10,000 every month it says.
ends
Issued by 141 Palace Plus for FlyingPig.co.nz
Contacts:
Stefan Preston --- Bridgette Paton-Tapsell
Executive Chairman --- Account Manager
FlyingPig.co.nz --- 141 Palace Plus
Tel: 0-9-358 5050--- 0-9-358 0141