Business-to-Business (B2B) specialist publisher, Octomedia, has today announced its acquisition of leading franchising business title, Franchise Business, from Cirrus Media.

Further bolstering Octomedia’s large portfolio of B2B titles, Franchise Business will now sit alongside leading retail titles, including Inside Retail, Inside Small Business and Inside FMCG.

Franchise Business, aimed at current and potential franchisees, provides news, insights, and advice for the industry. It also serves as a key directory of available and upcoming franchise opportunities, which aims to bring together buyer and seller.

Octomedia CEO Oliver Ranck said “This is an important step for Octomedia and will reinforce our position as one of Australia’s leading B2B publishers. Franchises employ nearly half a million people and contribute close to $150 Billion to the Australian Economy. It is a vital and vibrant sector of the retail industry and through this acquisition we aim to provide franchisees with the insights and news they require to succeed.”

Through its innovative approach, Octomedia has continued to grow its key titles, such as Inside Retail, which has recently expanded into its sixth market. This was recently recognised at the Publish 2016 Awards where the publisher was a finalist in the Business Publisher of the Year award.

“Many publishers are facing the squeeze of declining advertising budgets. Business publishing is a tricky business, and we’re proud to be leaders in digital, whilst still retaining and recognising the importance of print. We strongly believe that print is not dead, just that it has changed. We see a strong market for Franchise Business, our goal is to further expand the title abroad” continued Ranck.

Franchise Business will play an integral role in Octomedia’s upcoming retail conference, Inside Retail Live, which will be held in March next year. The publication will play an important role in providing a voice and recognition for the franchise retail for the three-day event.

Operating since 1972, Octomedia has grown in recent years under the guidance of Chairman Nati Harpaz and CEO Oliver Ranck from a team of seven with two core publications to over thirteen publications operating in multiple countries across APAC.