Coinstar Money Transfer Ltd Announces the Acquisition of Smith & Smith Hellas

Marti, 24 Martie 2009
Valentin Daeanu, from Smith & Smith Hellas SA and Alfonso Grassopoulos, Area Director of Coinstar Money Transfer Ltd in Italy, Greece & Cyprus signed the agreement of the acquisition.



Coinstar plans to expand its payout network in Greece

Coinstar Money Transfer, one of the largest global money transfer companies and part of Coinstar Group today announced the acquisition of Smith & Smith Greece Money Transfer Company. The acquisition is another key component of Coinstar's strategy to deliver its products and services worldwide and to broaden the options of a fast and reliable money transfer service for consumers, who will be able to send money transfers from Greece directly to bank accounts and to cash payout locations in 150 countries.


Smith & Smith Hellas has a network of 3 own branches and 4 agents in Greece, with premises in Athens and staff of 6 people.


Through this acquisition, Coinstar Money Transfer Ltd now has a licence from the Central Bank of Greece for the provision of money transfer services and it will commence its activities immediately. In addition to the current network of Smith & Smith, Coinstar has scheduled the expansion of the network through chains and independent retailers reaching customers all over Greece.


"The completion of this acquisition represents a significant step forward for Coinstar Money Transfer Ltd, as part of our strategy to accelerate growth in our money transfer business," said Alfonso Grassopoulos, Director of the region. "Today, we are entering an important send market welcoming thousands of individuals who use our products, and who already have existing customer relationships, offering a reliable and convenient way to send money home to their families."

"We are now focused on quickly seizing the attractive opportunities this transaction has created for us to increase top-line growth. With the Smith & Smith Hellas acquisition now complete, Coinstar has increased capacity to reach new customers and the ability to provide current users of money transfer services with enhanced products and competitive prices. We are looking forward to delivering on the promise of this acquisition and build value to our customers, our associates and our shareholders."



About Coinstar Inc.



Coinstar Money Transfer provides an easy to use, reliable and cost effective way to send money around the world. Our services are specially suited for individuals away from home who need to send money to their family and friends or to manage their personal finances. In June 2006 Coinstar Inc. successfully acquired Travelex Money Transfer (TMT), previously owned by Travelex PLC. Coinstar Money Transfer (CMT) has become one of the leading money transfer providers, with over 25.000 money transfer locations and operates in 150 countries worldwide.


Coinstar Inc. is a NASDAQ listed company based in Seattle, Washington, USA. The company was founded in 1991 and pioneered self-service coin counting machines to provide consumers with convenient and innovative means to convert loose coins into cash. Today Coinstar is a multi-national company offering a range of solutions for retailers including self-service coin counting, electronic payment solutions and entertainment services and through its most recent acquisition, Money Transfer. The company's products can be found in more than 65,000 retail locations, including supermarkets, drug stores, general retailers and convenience stores.



To find out more about Coinstar Inc. visit: www.coinstar.com and www.cmtmoney.com.



Media Contact:

Sofia Kostopoulou

Sofia.kostopoulou@coinstar.com

Tel: +30 6956 760630

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