Gannett said today it had acquired, in separate transactions, the ownership stakes of partners Tribune Company and The McClatchy Company in ShopLocal LLC, a top marketing and database services company for most major retailers in the US. ShopLocal will work in conjunction with PointRoll, also owned by Gannett, to create ads that dynamically connect retail advertisers and consumers, online and in the store. PointRoll is a leading rich media company.
Said Chris Saridakis, senior vice president and chief digital officer for Gannett: “ShopLocal and PointRoll have always been focused on innovation, client service and loyal customers. Together, they can drive those skills to new heights, develop great products, broaden their distribution and better serve their customers.”
Tribune owned 42.5% of ShopLocal and McClatchy owned 15%. The companies remain partners with Gannett in a number of ventures, including CareerBuilder, Classified Ventures and Topix.net. Tribune and Gannett also jointly own Metromix, a national network of local entertainment Web sites, and are partners in quadrantOne, an online advertising venture.
