WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Oct. 27, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SPAR Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:SGRP) ("we", the "Company" or "SPAR Group"), a leading supplier of retail merchandising and other marketing services throughout the United States and internationally, today announced the expansion of its service offerings with Koodo (www.koodomobile.com) and its parent company TELUS Communications Company ("TELUS") (www.telus.com) in Canada.
Koodo is the smart and affordable Canadian mobile alternative. Launched in 2008, Koodo led a mobility revolution across Canada, with a simple and transparent approach to mobile service. This innovative approach to affordable mobility has helped Koodo win multiple awards. Most recently, Koodo was ranked highest in customer satisfaction among stand-alone cell phone carriers, three years in a row, in the J.D Power and Associates 2012 , 2013 and 2014 Canadian Wireless Total Ownership Experience Study™1. Koodo's parent company: TELUS, is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, healthcare, video, and satellite television.
SPAR Canada, a wholly owned subsidiary of SPAR Group, has worked with Koodo since March 2012 providing human resources, technology, administration and campaign execution services in support of the Koodo Mobile National Field Sales program.
Koodo has expanded their business with SPAR Canada to include sales assist services in two of the top retailers in Canada. The national sales team is also growing to 28 full time team members servicing many prestigious Canadian retailers. The program delivers outstanding sales, training and merchandising services to independent retail and dealer channels in order to better assist Koodo in its growth strategy.
Niana Reid, General Manager for SPAR Canada Company, stated, "We are pleased to broaden our service offerings with Koodo and committed to providing the highest standard of recruitment and training for their national field sales team. Additionally, we will continue to leverage our technology platform to better provide efficiency and transparency as Koodo expands its footprint across Canada. This expansion is the continuation of a long and successful business partnership."
Nancy Thomas, Director, Channels for Koodo, commented, "SPAR Canada has been a valued partner to the Koodo team as we have grown our Canadian retail business over the last few years. Their experience and expertise has been a key factor in the success of our field sales team. We look forward to continuing our working relationship and evaluating further opportunities to work together."
About SPAR Group
SPAR Group, Inc. is a diversified international merchandising and marketing services Company and provides a broad array of services worldwide to help companies improve their sales, operating efficiency and profits at retail locations. The Company provides merchandising and other marketing services to manufacturers, distributors and retailers worldwide, primarily in mass merchandiser, office supply, value, grocery, drug, independent, convenience, toy, home improvement and electronics stores, as well as providing furniture and other product assembly services, audit services, in-store events, technology services and marketing research. The Company has supplied these project and product services in the United States since certain of its predecessors were formed in 1979 and
internationally since the Company acquired its first international subsidiary in Japan in May of 2001. Product services include restocking and adding new products, removing spoiled or outdated products, resetting categories "on the shelf" in accordance with client or store schematics, confirming and replacing shelf tags, setting new sale or promotional product displays and advertising, replenishing kiosks, providing in-store event staffing and providing assembly services in stores, homes and offices. Audit services include price audits, point of sale audits, out of stock audits, intercept surveys and planogram audits. Other merchandising services include whole store or departmental product sets or resets (including new store openings), new product launches, in-store demonstrations, special seasonal or promotional merchandising,
focused product support and product recalls. The Company currently does business in 9 countries that encompass approximately 50% of the total world population through its operations in the United States, Canada, Japan, South Africa, India, China, Australia, Mexico and Turkey. For more information, please visit the SPAR Group's website at http://www.sparinc.com.
About Koodo
Koodo Mobile, is the smart and affordable Canadian mobile alternative. Launched in 2008, Koodo led a mobility revolution across Canada, with a simple and transparent approach to mobile service -- they were the first to eliminate Activation and System Access Fees and the first to offer Canadians affordable and flexible data from $5/month. Koodo also introduced the world to the revolutionary Tab™. Often imitated but never duplicated, the Tab is an alternative to fixed-term contracts that allows customers to put up to $500 of a phone's price on their Tab. This innovative approach to affordable mobility has helped Koodo win multiple awards,
including being named the 2010 Strategy Brand of the Year - the youngest brand to win this title.
Find more information about Koodo at www.koodomobile.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking, including (without limitation) expectations or guidance respecting building upon and investing in further innovations to strengthening the Company's strong assembly business, leveraging compatible opportunities with eTailer/eCommerce customers, improving on the value we already deliver to customers by continuing to work with our retail and eCommerce partners to package the service on their websites, growing client base and customer contract expansion. Undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements because the matters they describe are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. The Company's actual results, performance and trends could differ materially from those indicated or implied by such statements as a result
of various factors, including (without limitation) the continued strengthening of SPAR Group's selling and marketing functions, continued customer satisfaction and contract renewal, new product development, continued availability of capable dedicated personnel, continued cost management, the success of its international efforts, success and availability of acquisitions, availability of financing and other factors, as well as by factors applicable to most companies such as general economic, competitive and other business and civil conditions. Information regarding certain of those factors and other risk factors and cautionary statements that could affect future results, performance or trends are discussed in SPAR Group's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time.
All of the Company's forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by all such risk factors and other cautionary statements.
Legal
1 -Koodo Mobile received the highest numerical score among stand-alone wireless service providers in the proprietary J.D. Power 2012-2014 Canadian Wireless Customer Satisfaction StudiesSM. The 2014 study is based on responses from 12,474 total consumer responses measuring eight stand-alone providers and measures opinions of consumers on their wireless service provider. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in October 2013 and March 2014. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com
CONTACT: Company Contact:
James R. Segreto
Chief Financial Officer
SPAR Group, Inc.
(914) 332-4100
Investor Contact:
Valter Pinto
Capital Markets Group, LLC
(914) 669-0222 or (212) 398-3486
valter@capmarketsgroup.com
Source: SPAR Group
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