Is this the death knell of phone books?
Residential Phone Directory to Look Up Personal Numbers No Longer Automatically Delivered in Seven Canadian Cities
Montreal (Quebec), June 3, 2010 — Residential phone directories, entirely devoted to finding a person, are now available only upon request in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, the Ottawa-Gatineau area and Quebec City. Yellow Pages Group (YPG), Canada’s largest print, online and mobile directory provider, launched this initiative in accordance with changing user habits around the way people look for residential numbers.
“An increasing number of Canadians, particularly in urban areas, use our online and mobile resources YellowPages.ca™ and Canada411.ca™ to find residential phone numbers,” said Marc P. Tellier, President and CEO of Yellow Pages Group. “Our priority with the residential directory is to make listings available to all users in the format of their choice. All who wish to receive a printed directory can request one while those who prefer to use our online or mobile resources will be equally supported.”
In 2005, YPG implemented a 24-month distribution cycle of the residential directory in select Canadian cities, with residents having to request a directory during non-distribution years. The resulting demand for the residential directory averaged below one percent while searches for personal phone numbers on YPG online properties have almost doubled since the program’s inception.
“The results of our 24-month initiative clearly indicate that large urban centres are ready for a residential directory by request only program,” continued Tellier.
The distribution by request of the residential directory will result in a reduction of paper consumption, decreasing residential directory distribution by over 5 million copies per year across Canada.
NO CHANGE TO YELLOW PAGES™ DIRECTORY DISTRIBUTION
In the seven markets no longer automatically receiving their residential directory, distribution of the Yellow Pages directory will continue on an annual basis. The Yellow Pages directory is used to find a business by category or by name and features local environmental information and government resources. It remains used by 1 in 2 Canadians each month.
In the seven markets no longer automatically receiving their residential directory, distribution of the Yellow Pages directory will continue on an annual basis. The Yellow Pages directory is used to find a business by category or by name and features local environmental information and government resources. It remains used by 1 in 2 Canadians each month.
In most other markets, the residential listings are contained as a section within the Yellow Pages directory and will continue to be included.
For those who would prefer not to receive the business directory, YPG offers a Custom Delivery Program, allowing users to opt-out of their delivery.
Residents in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, the Ottawa-Gatineau area and Quebec City can obtain a copy of the residential directory or opt-out of receiving their Yellow Pages business directory by calling YPG Distribution Services at 1-800-268-5637 or visiting http://ypg.com/delivery.