Newspaper & Mailroom
USA TODAY to Open First Ever Retail Stores
Tuesday 16. September 2008 - USA TODAY Travel Zone Airport Stores to Debut in Detroit, New York and Indianapolis to Follow
USA TODAY, the nation’s top-selling newspaper, will open three USA TODAY Travel Zone retail locations in the new North Terminal of the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport on Sept. 17. These stores are the first retail operations to be opened by the newspaper brand which celebrates its 26th anniversary this week. An additional store is set to open at LaGuardia Airport in late 2008, with two stores opening in Indianapolis International Airport in November.
As a full service store USA TODAY Travel Zone will carry all products travelers expect to find, including reading materials, sundries, travel accessories and other convenience items. One location in Detroit will include a Caribou Coffee stand with grab-and-go snacks and coffee drinks. USA TODAY Travel Zone will be visually appealing and easy to navigate. Sections of the store will be clearly identified and utilize colors representing USA TODAY’s signature sections: News (blue), Money (green), Sports (red) and Life (purple). Custom Snapshots(R), USA TODAY’s iconic infographic, will be incorporated into the decor of each retail location creating a fun and memorable shopping experience.
“USA TODAY is synonymous with travel and convenience,” said Christy Hartsell, director of brand licensing for USA TODAY. “USA TODAY Travel Zone stores create a new opportunity for travelers to get the news and information they need when away from home.”
USA TODAY Travel Zone stores have been developed by and will be operated by HDS Retail under a licensing agreement. HDS Retail is the world’s largest travel retailer with over 4,000 stores in 18 countries. Nancy Bailey & Associates brokered the licensing deal between USA TODAY and HDS Retail North America.
“HDS Retail knows certain brands connect with specific consumers and USA TODAY aligns very well with HDS’s target audience,” said Gerry Savaria, president and CEO of HDS Retail North America. “USA TODAY wanted to create an extension for their brand and HDS is well-suited to help grow the USA TODAY Travel Zone concept.”
USA TODAY Travel Zone is the latest addition to USA TODAY’s expanding brand portfolio. Through a series of licensing agreements, USA TODAY has launched several new products in 2008 including USA TODAY Crosswords for Nintendo DS; Election 2008, USA TODAY Txtpert by Namco and USA TODAY Crosswords/QuickCross all for mobile devices; a multi-puzzle calendar; and more than 20 books. In 2007, USA TODAY introduced USA TODAY Readers reading glasses, sudoku magazines, calendars and seven book titles.