Paper Plus

What Paper Plus does

Paper Plus is a New Zealand-based multi-channel specialty retailer operating over 90 independently owned franchise stores nationwide alongside a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform at paperplus.co.nz. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Auckland (Support Office at Level 1, 51 Hugo Johnston Drive, Penrose) with a postal address in Manukau City, the company trades as Paper Plus New Zealand Ltd, a privately held entity with no parent company. Headcount is reported in the 1,001–5,000 range across the corporate structure and franchise network.

Core revenue is generated through one-time retail product transactions across four categories: Books (across all genres with particular depth in New Zealand fiction and Te Reo M\u0101ori content), Stationery & Tech (office supplies, school supplies, computer accessories, audio equipment, printers), Art & Craft (paints, brushes, canvases, sewing machines), and Toys, Games & Puzzles. Supporting revenue mechanics include the Paper Plus Rewards loyalty program (1 point per NZD $1 spent; 100 points = NZD $5 e-voucher) which functions as a recurring engagement loop, paperplus.co.nz e-commerce with free Click & Collect at 80+ stores, gift cards (digital and physical), B2B business accounts for office-supply procurement, and Travelex currency exchange in selected stores.

The technology backbone is an ASP.NET-built website integrating store locator, customer loyalty, online ordering, and store-network inventory; no public API, SDK, MCP, mobile app, or AI/ML features are disclosed. Delivery is fulfilled via NZPost nationwide, with free freight above NZD $100, a NZD $7 standard rate below, and rural/overweight surcharges applied. Payments include Afterpay on orders NZD $50 and above, plus major card networks. In 2025, the company won Retail NZ's "Books Music Store of the Year" award. Customer segments span general consumers, schools and educational institutions, and children/young adults, served via physical retail, e-commerce, and a dedicated "Paper Plus Learning Corner" educational-content hub targeting dyslexia-friendly titles, reluctant readers, M\u0101ori language resources, and NZ curriculum-aligned study aids.

Name

Paper Plus

Legal name

Paper Plus New Zealand Ltd

Website

https://paperplus.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Paper Plus is a New Zealand-based multi-channel specialty retailer operating over 90 franchise stores and an e-commerce site, selling books, stationery, art supplies, and toys to general consumers, schools, and young readers across the country.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Book and Stationery Retail

NAICS

Book Retailers and News Dealers (45921), Office Supplies and Stationery Retailers (45941), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Retail-Variety Stores (5331), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Books, Media & Entertainment Inventory-led Online Retailers (CRAFADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Paper Products (Notebooks, Copy Paper, Envelopes) Retail (CRALABAC), Toy & Game E-commerce Specialists (CRALAFAL)

Keywords

• Book retail
• Stationery supplies
• Art and craft supplies
• Children's toys
• Franchise bookstore

Headquarters

HQ city

Manukau City

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: One-time product transactions across books, stationery, art supplies, and toys through both physical retail stores and e-commerce website. Products include best sellers, new releases, pre-orders, and coming soon titles across multiple categories.
2. Loyalty Program: Paper Plus Rewards program earning 1 point per $1 spent, with 100 points = $5 Paper Plus Rewards e-voucher. Cardless digital loyalty system.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Paper Plus operates a New Zealand-wide franchise retail network of over 90 stores selling books, stationery, art & craft supplies, and toys, complemented by an e-commerce website (paperplus.co.nz). The business combines branded retail with localized franchise operations, offering in-store browsing, Click & Collect from 80+ locations, home delivery nationwide, loyalty rewards, gift cards, and a Travelex currency-exchange partnership in selected stores.

Product overview

Paper Plus is a multi-channel retail franchise operating over 80 physical stores across New Zealand plus a comprehensive e-commerce platform. The core product portfolio consists of Books (physical books across all genres including adult fiction, children's books, and New Zealand titles), Stationery & Tech (office supplies, school supplies, writing instruments, computer accessories), Art & Craft (paints, brushes, canvases, craft materials, sewing machines), and Toys, Games & Puzzles (children's toys, games, LEGO, puzzles). Supporting services include Paper Plus Learning Corner (educational resources for dyslexia, literacy, numeracy, STEM, and Māori language), Paper Plus Rewards loyalty program (earning 1 point per $1 spent), Gift Cards (digital and physical), Click & Collect (free pickup at 80+ stores), Travelex Currency Exchange (at selected stores), Business Accounts (for commercial customers), and delivery/shipping throughout New Zealand. The company has been locally owned and operated since 1983 and operates as a franchise network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Paper Plus Rewards: Loyalty program offering points redemption (1 point per $1 spent, 100 points = $5 e-voucher) available both in-store and online.

Products and services

• Books
• Stationery & Tech
• Art & Craft
• Toys, Games & Puzzles
• Paper Plus Rewards
• Gift Cards
• Business Accounts

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• NZPostminorOthersNZPost provides postal and delivery services for Paper Plus online orders. Customers can contact NZPost Support directly for queries regarding NZPost products and services.
• TravelexminorOthersTravelex currency exchange available at selected Paper Plus stores, providing foreign currency services to customers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Officeworks: Wesfarmers-owned office supplies and stationery retailer operating in both Australia and New Zealand. Directly overlaps with Paper Plus's B2B office supply, stationery, and school supply categories through dedicated business accounts.
• Whitcoulls: New Zealand's other major bookstore chain, operating physical stores nationwide with a comparable book-led assortment and stationery offering. Directly competes with Paper Plus in the NZ specialty book retail category.
• Mighty Ape: New Zealand-based online retailer (acquired by Amazon) selling books, toys, games, and stationery via e-commerce. Directly competes with Paper Plus's online channel on price, selection, and delivery convenience.
• Fishpond: NZ-headquartered online bookstore and general merchandise retailer offering books, toys, and stationery with international shipping. Directly competes with Paper Plus's e-commerce channel on book assortment and pricing.

Broad incumbents

• Indigo Books & Music: Canadian book and lifestyle retailer operating physical superstores plus e-commerce with comparable product mix (books, toys, stationery, gifts). Operates a similar large-format specialty retail model in a different geography.
• Barnes & Noble: Largest US bookstore chain operating physical superstores plus a major e-commerce platform. Similar large-format book-led multi-category retail model at materially larger scale, serving as a strategic benchmark.
• Noel Leeming: NZ consumer electronics and office supplies retailer with overlapping stationery, computer accessories, and tech product categories. Broader portfolio but materially competes in Paper Plus's Stationery & Tech segment.
• The Warehouse: New Zealand's largest general merchandise retailer offering books, stationery, toys, and art supplies at value price points. Overlaps significantly with Paper Plus's stationery, toys, and book categories as a discount-priced alternative.

Regional players

• Dymocks: Australian specialty bookstore chain with a comparable multi-category retail model including books, stationery, and gifts. Operates primarily in Australia, not directly competing in NZ but serving as a closely comparable specialty book retail benchmark.

Emerging players

• Typo: Stationery, gift, and lifestyle retailer (Cotton On Group) operating in New Zealand with comparable positioning around stationery, gifts, and impulse-purchase novelty items. Adjacent competitor in stationery and gift categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/paperplus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paper-plus-nz-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Paper Plus