There were some momentous events in 1965 - Sir Winston Churchill died, Alexei Leonov became the first man to walk in space, the Beatles were awarded the MBE and ... News Shopper was born.

On January 21, 1965, a group of five people gathered in a room in west London with a view to launching a revolutionary new newspaper, revolutionary because it was to be free.

Thus, News Shopper is today London’s oldest free newspaper, thanks to the foresight of an advertising salesman, Richard Addison, two South African millionaire lawyers, Rayne Kruger and Anthony Aaronson, former Sunday Dispatch editor Gerald McKnight and Daily Mail editor, David (later Sir David) English.

From humble beginnings, through spectacular ambition to almost oblivion, News Shopper has survived and thrived.

It started out at the very heart of its community and is proud 50 years later to remain the heartbeat of news right across Shopperland.

News Shopper:

So why has London’s oldest free newspaper proved so successful?

Innovation - it is regularly challenging the status quo with new ideas, from product design to customer care initiatives.

Product evolution - spanning five decades, News Shopper has moved with the times and evolved as a modern, dynamic publication.

Community involvement - what affects the community affects News Shopper. By being at the heart of the community, the publication is embraced by it.

Bravery - we are not frightened to tackle real issues and campaign against injustices affecting the community.

Integrity - readers know that we will not let them down. We will produce honest, truthful and well researched information that they can trust.

Good management - has been a key factor in winning the trust of customers and staff alike.

Staff retention - from good management comes staff retention. The majority of staff at News Shopper have been with the company for more than five years. Many have been with the company for in excess of 10 years and several 20 years or more.

Taking nothing for granted - every day we work hard to ensure our customers receive the best service we can possibly provide them. We attempt new ideas and innovations to improve our offering and we are quick to provide a solution to every challenge.

News Shopper is proud of the relationship it has built with its customers, both reader and advertiser, and the reward for that is the loyalty they still show to us after 50 years.