Stuff and Trade Me in talks, report claims

Tuesday, 25 March 2025

The swirl of speculation around the future of major media companies continued with a report that Trade Me was interested in buying Stuff’s digital operation, including the Stuff news website.

The report in the New Zealand Herald said Stuff and Trade Me were in talks over a possible deal.

A Stuff spokesperson said: “As in all previous enquiries regarding potential third parties interested in investing in the Stuff Group of businesses, we would never comment on whether discussions had been held or not.”

Stuff is the owner of The Post.

Trade Me and Stuff were once both owned by Australian company Fairfax, but Stuff is now independently owned by Kenepuru Holdings, which is owned by Sinead Boucher.

Trade Me is owned by private equity company Apax Partners.

NZME’s future has also been a talking point in recent days with Canadian-born billionaire Jim Grenon seeking to seize boardroom control of the publisher of the New Zealand Herald for himself and three other directors he has nominated.

Grenon has said he wants NZME, which owns the New Zealand Herald and about half the country’s commercial radio stations, to appeal to “a wider political spectrum”.

On Friday, NZME revealed it and Stuff had been involved in discussions about a possible sale of Stuff newspapers to NZME.

But both Stuff and NZME said talks were halted after Grenon announced a bid to install himself and other directors he had nominated to replace NZME’s board.

NZME disclosed the talks in a statement to the New Zealand stock exchange, saying it had done so in response to “speculation” regarding Stuff.