Experian flotation set to fund Far East growth

Experian is planning to sell 10-15 per cent of its ordinary share
capital to fund the international development, specifically in Russia,
China, Korea and Japan. The company already has a presence in all of
these countries, and has released Mosaic classifications for Japan, Hong
Kong and China.

If Experian's Marketing Services arm expands to China, it would join its
rival Acxiom, which already has a presence in the country. China is
unchartered territory but offers huge growth opportunities. The average
Chinese citizen is said to receive eight pieces of direct mail a year,
compared with UK consumers who receive an average of 14 a month.

However, John Dobson, managing director of Eurodirect, whose Cameo
classifcation covers Japan and Hong Kong, said the move will not be an
easy one: "Providing full marketing services in these countries in their
own languages will be challenging, although probably less challenging
than its credit business. If Experian buys organisations it will be
easier, but the question is whether those companies have developed skill
sets."

As part of the deal, Experian will take on GUS's £2bn debt. During
the last year, Experian has bought £800m worth of businesses.