Trader Classified Media

Trader Corporation
Current status Active

Trader Classified Media is one of the largest classified advertising companies in the world. It was founded in 1987 by John MacBain and currently operates over 575 print titles and 56 websites in 20 countries. The company focuses particularly on the automotive, real estate, jobs and general merchandise sectors. The company lists over 25 million items of content in 90 million ads each year. Based in Canada, it went public in March 2000 as Trader.com on NASDAQ and in Paris, and currently employs 7,500 people.

Trader Corporation is a Canadian leader in print and online vertical media. The company was formed in June 2006 with the integration of Classified Media (Canada) Holdings Inc. (Trader Canada) and Trader Media Corporation (TMC). The two companies were acquired by Yellow Pages Income Fund that same year. Trader Corporation is present throughout Canada and has approximately 1,280 employees.

Trader Corporation publishes approximately 149 publications and 14 web sites covering four verticals: automotive, real estate, general merchandise and employment. Approximately 2 out of every 5 Canadians[1] consult a Trader publication or web site each year and its network of web sites attracts over 3.3 million unique monthly visitors per month.

The business goal of Trader Corporation is to establish a national trading and advertising platform for customers providing a “one-stop-shop” for buyers and sellers in all the major vertical categories: automotive, real estate, general merchandise, employment. Central to the company’s leadership position is its well-known brands and products, rich local content both print and online, and direct customer relationships.

Trader Corporation’s brand portfolio includes: Auto Trader, Auto Hebdo, Buy&Sell, The Bargain Finder, homeTRADER and VisiteNet. A listing of publications and websites can be found on tradercorporation.ca.

Buy&Sell

Buy & Sell is a Canadian, national classified ad service specialising in the category of general merchandise. Buy & Sell publishes several magazines including Buy & Sell, The Bargain Finder, Super Shopper and Triad and a web site . Buy & Sell’s content includes, but not exclusive to, vehicles new & used, recreational vehicles, real estate, furniture and electronics.

Buy & Sell is a division of Trader Corporation, the Canadian leader in print and online vertical media.

International

In August 2005, The Sunday Times (UK) newspaper reported that both Google and Yahoo! have approached in company as a potential take-over or tie-up.

In July 2006 Forbes reported that Scandinavian media company Schibsted ASA has finalised the acquisition of parts of Trader Classified Media NV in Spain, Latin America, France, Italy and Switzerland.

In the fourth quarter of 2005, Trader Media East was established comprising the Russian, Baltic, CIS and Eastern European operations of Trader Classified Media.

In February 2006 The Yellow Pages Group, publishers of directories in Canada purchased the Canadian and US assets of Trader Classified Media.

References

  1. IPSOS REID Study http://www.ipsos.ca