Peter Willson brings magazine retail expertise to Gateway Newsstands

Peter Willson, who was in circulation management at Rogers Media for 26 years and for the past two years worked with Coast to Coast Newsstand Partnership, has joined Gateway Newsstands as national operations manager, press. As such, he is responsible for handling wholesale relationships and field operations. 

Willson, as associate publisher and consumer marketing director, was instrumental in Rogers's launch of Hello! Canada magazine. He was named newsstand marketer of the year in 2005 by Masthead magazine.

Gateway is on a bit of a tear, pursuing aggressive growth; last year it acquired 27 former LS Travel retail stores operating under the banners of Great Canadian News, Xpress, Relay, United Cigar Store and Maison de la Presse.It has 554 retail locations throughout North America and has specialized in mall, office and transportation stores and says its newest growth area is hospitals. In addition to a food services division, it also operates Gateway Direct Media, which circulates controlled publication in 65 newsstands and kiosks in the Toronto Transit Commission and as well as GO Transit properties. It is the largest newspaper and magazine retailer in transit locations across North America.