John Menzies
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John Menzies PLC is a Scottish business established in 1833. It has two main divisions: Menzies Distribution and Menzies Aviation. Menzies Distribution is a major distributor of newspapers and magazines throughout the UK. Menzies Aviation is a provider of aviation services to many airlines.
The John Menzies name is still strongly associated with their now-defunct retail operation, particularly in Scotland.
[edit] Former retail business
Until the late-1990s, John Menzies also owned a chain of newsagent shops, many of which were based at railway stations. However, in Scotland, it also owned a significant number of larger stores, dominating the same market niche that W H Smith's High Street stores occupied in England and Wales.
In the late 1980s, John Menzies purchased 66 of the Martin Retail Group's largest stores in England, doubling their floor-space overnight. These stores (which had previously traded as Martin the Newsagent, Lavells Newsagents, Lewis Meeson, RS McColl, Sperrings, and House of Andrew) were quickly rebranded as Menzies' stores.
The retail operation was sold to W H Smith in 1998 to enable Menzies to concentrate on its distribution business.
[edit] Pronunciation
The name Menzies is pronounced /ˈmɪŋɪs/ ("Mingis") as the "z" is in fact the letter <ȝ> (yogh), which was lost from print with the latinisation required for the printing press. However, it should be noted that even in Scotland (where the name "Menzies" originated), the name of the retail stores was increasingly mispronounced as "John Men-zays". The incorrect pronunciation is now the accepted norm.
John Menzies provide a humorous guide to the correct pronunciation [1].
[edit] External links
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