About Us
The Company
Established in 1983, the Paper Plus Group is a cooperative franchise made up of almost 100 stores in New Zealand.
As our nation’s largest book and stationery retailer, we have high visibility and brand recognition throughout New Zealand, servicing communities in both city and provincial centres from Kerikeri to Invercargill. Our geographic spread of stores and commitment to smaller communities, is unparalleled by any other book and stationery retailer in Aotearoa.
Our stores offer something for every community with ranges varying across stores to include Books, Stationery, Toys, Gift, Cards, Magazines and Office Supplies. Many of our stores also offer their local customers the added benefit of agency services such as NZ Post, Kiwibank, Lotto, Western Union, Travelex, in addition to a few who incorporate a Toyworld franchise into their store.
Our stores are 100% locally owned and operated and our Members are small business owners who live locally, employ staff locally and are committed to and heavily involved within their local communities, schools, and businesses.
The Paper Plus brand can offer customers the full omni channel retail experience, which provides Paper Plus customers with a seamless shopping experience, whether they want to shop in store, collect from store or have their shopping delivered to them. Using our nationwide store network, we can provide Click & Collect services in many local communities’ that other nationwide brands cannot. Where we are able, we source any online order from one of our local stores to support these
local communities.
In recent years we have seen more and more New Zealanders opting to shop local (In store, Online and Click & Collect locally), preferring to shop with retailers they know and trust, this has resulted in continued demand and growth for Books, Toys and Arts & Crafts across the Paper Plus Group Network.
Our History
In 1983 Kiwi retail icon the Paper Plus Group (initially named Nationwide Stationers) began as a cooperative of just five book and stationery retailers. By the following year, it had 62 Members (store owners). The level of growth and brand exposure was so high that by 1987 a rebrand had already become necessary and the Paper Plus brand was launched into the national retail scene.
The Take Note brand emerged in 2000 from the Group’s purchase of the Topline and Paperworld brands, concentrating on cards and stationery as a counterpoint to what has become the increased books focus of the flagship Paper Plus brand.
In 2005 the Group acquired Books & More adding many stores with New Zealand Post to its network. Today the Group operates with New Zealand Post in around 80 of its stores across the country.
In 2011 the Paper Plus brand went through a radical overhaul to bring it into a new era of retailing, introducing new store designs, brand colours and ranges, while still keeping the heritage and family spirit of the Paper brand. We launched in 2019 the latest version of our transaction website, which has supported the continued growth of our omni-channel offering to Paper Plus customers and members throughout the country.
As a 100% New Zealand-owned company, the Paper Plus Group has a strong presence around the country. We are proud to support and encourage literacy and learning throughout the country, and our Members (store owners) are proud to be working and living in their local communities and contributing to the local economies. The Group is proud of the legacy it
has achieved so far.
Our Brand & Network
The Brand
Within the Paper Plus Group we operate several brands; Paper Plus, Paper Plus Select, Take Note and Office Spot.
Paper Plus is our largest and most iconic brand and is the flagship of our group. Many of the stores provide NZ Post, Kiwibank or Lotto services, whilst 3 Paper Plus stores include a Toyworld franchise.
Paper Plus Select, with a more curated, select offering, enjoys the same iconic brand status as a Paper Plus, but on
a slightly smaller scale.
Our seven Take Note stores throughout New Zealand provide local solutions and product similar to that of a small
Paper Plus. Many Take Notes also offer a NZ Post Kiwi Bank service, in addition to Lotto.
Our one Office Spot, based in Ashburton, is a B2B stationery brand offering a full range of office and stationery products.
The Store Network
Our store network extends from Kerikeri to Invercargill allowing us to service more than 98 New Zealand towns
and communities, often in locations where many other retailers, local and international, choose not to be.
Paper Plus is committed to growth and have plans to continue to develop and grow our brand and network across the country. We have identified several Greenfield sites in specific areas/locations for potential NEW Paper Plus sites and
are always happy to talk to any existing Member or potential new members about these exciting opportunities.
From time to time we may also have several existing member or company stores for sale. If you are interested in
knowing more or have a specific interest in a certain area, please do reach out.
All queries or expressions of interest in relation to our store network or franchise opportunities can be sent to operations@paperplusgroup.co.nz
Our Board
Chairman's Welcome
Welcome to the Paper Plus Group website. You’ve arrived at the home of a proudly 100% New Zealand
owned and operated organisation.
We are a true Kiwi success story, having grown from humble beginnings to become New Zealand’s largest Books and Stationery retail business. I believe that it’s our people, our knowledge, and our passion for our business and customers that sets us apart and has got us to where we are today. The Group has never ceased striving for excellence and seeking chances to provide its Members (store owners) with opportunities to take us successfully into the future.
As an organisation we have exceptionally high standards and see ourselves as an integral member of every one of our communities. Ours is a simple formula, and one we will continue to develop well into the future as we carry on meeting the needs of our customers.
Company Directors
At Paper Plus we're passionate about inspiring people to live bigger lives.
We're a cooperative organisation operating with a franchise network, with a Board consisting of store owner Members
and Independent Directors, who bring strong business acumen and extensive experience to the table.
Alastair Kerr
Board Chair
Independent Director
Alastair has held many senior executive roles internationally with organisations such as Marks
and Spencer, Virgin Group, The Body Shop, L'Oréal, and Williams Sonoma Inc, in a career spanning 35 years.
As an Independent Director he has extensive governance experience both as a trustee and on boards across many different geographies and sectors. He is currently chair of Murphy Group Ltd, a $2 billion construction business based in London which operates in the UK and Canada, and chair of Cognition Education Group based in Auckland. Previously he has been on the boards of many organisations in New Zealand, Australia, the Middle East, the United States and the United Kingdom.
Alastair has been Chair of Paper Plus Group since August 2019 and executive chair since October 2020.
Mark Todd
Independent Director
Mark is a Christchurch resident and is a non-executive Director of a variety of national and Canterbury based organisations. He is a Director and Chairs the Risk Audit and Finance subcommittee of City Care Group. His other Director appointments currently include Dairy NZ, Apex Water, McKenzie and Willis, Lotto New Zealand and St George's Hospital.
Mark was previously a senior executive for outdoor clothing and equipment brand Kathmandu, firstly as Chief Financial Officer and latterly Chief Operating Officer. He was also a Director of Kathmandu Holdings for six years after it listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and New Zealand Exchange (NZX) in 2009.
Mark is a Fellow Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors.
Dave Chambers
Independent Director
Dave is a highly experienced business leader with a background in large-scale customer-centric organisations.
He was Managing Director of Progressive Enterprises NZ and Director of Woolworths Supermarkets in Australia and has held various operations leadership roles.
Previously he was a board member of the New Zealand Business and Parliament Trust.
Dave's other Director appointments include Watercare, Living Clean NZ Limited and Turners
and Growers Fresh Limited.
Dr Tim Mason
Director
Tim was elected to the Board of Paper Plus NZ in 2020 as a member director. He has been a member of the Paper Plus Group since 2002 and is currently owner or part-owner of four Paper Plus stores: Waipukurau, Taradale, Taupo and Mt Maunganui.
He has had a long professional career as a rural GP in Hawke's Bay, and now lives in Wellington.
He prefers not to work directly in his stores but provides governance, oversight, compliance, and financial management for all stores which gives him a "bird's eye" view over them all, as well as a degree of objectivity by being one step removed from the coal face.
Other than his involvement with Paper Plus he is and has been a director and shareholder of various private medical and agribusiness companies, and he is a trustee of two charitable trusts, one of which supports tertiary students of publishing and one of which supports conservation.
Chris Lumsden
Director
Chris was elected to the Board of Paper Plus NZ in 2017 as a Member Director. With a 14-year career in Banking, primarily focused on business lending, Chris brings a commercial and analytical approach to the Paper Plus business.
Previously an owner operator of a Shell Service Station franchise, Chris has managed the Paper Plus Wanaka store since 1998.
An active member of his community, Chris is well known for combining fundraising with frequent extracurricular activities such as author events. Chris spent several years on the local Chamber of Commerce and six years as a Director of Booksellers New Zealand.
Become a Franchisee in our Co-operative
The Benefits
Membership of the Paper Plus Group brings with it a number of benefits
- National Brand Recognition
- Negotiated preferential purchasing arrangements from key suppliers and category management
- Centralised billing of accounts
- High profile national marketing campaigns
- Operational and business support and advice
- National Mental Health and Wellbeing Programme
- Local and Regional Development and Insight
- Unique omni-channel sales strategy providing franchisees revenue through the Paper Plus website
- Group negotiated savings in key areas of business operation including insurance, phones, photocopier
Is this for you?
Paper Plus is local for local. We are all about people - our teams and our customers. Our most successful
Members are those that are engaged with their communities, willing to spend time on the shop floor and
understand their customers well. We take the time to make sure that we are a good fit for you, and you are
a good fit for us, our Membership, and our customers.
You will need to have
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Good communication skills and a commitment to providing excellent customer service. You will need
to be a people person.
-
Commitment and be prepared to be hands on. Running a Paper Plus store is a full-time job and is
incredibly fast paced. You will need to be willing to work hard, especially in the first 12-18 months,
to ensure you are successful.
- A passion for retail and potentially books
- The ability to make a financial investment to build and operate your store
- Commitment to following the Paper Plus Brand Standards and Operating requirements
How To Become a Member
As a co-operative franchise - membership and shareholding is a privilege so in all these cases you must first satisfy
the Board of Paper Plus Group that you have the required skills and are suitable to become a Member of our Group.
There are three ways you can become a member of the Paper Plus Group
- Purchase a Paper Plus Group store from an existing Member
- Bring your existing book and stationery business into the Paper Plus Group
- Establish a new Paper Plus Group store at a site approved by us
If this sounds like you and you would like to know more or discuss further with a member of the team,
please contact us at operations@paperplusgroup.co.nz
If you are interested in learning more about the Paper Plus Group, becoming a Member or wish to discuss
opportunities to collaborate or partner with us, we would love to hear from you.