Global Yellow Pages News Roundup

Here is a summary of recent, noteworthy developments in the global Yellow Pages space:

Following an industry trend, U.K.-based Yell has begun distribution of a truncated Yellow Pages directory in a three-pronged effort to save paper, reduce waste and meet changing user needs. Recent consumer research underscores a desire for a book smaller in dimension. The new directory, downsized by five centimeters in height and four in width, is expected to scale back Yell’s annual paper use by up to 5,000 tons, or 16 percent, from 2009.

Tupalo.com, a Europe-based “social Yellow Pages” site, has come stateside with a new property in Houston, Texas. Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, Tupalo has built online communities in several European nations, and is touting its U.S. product as “the ultimate Houston city guide.” European Directories, a publisher with operations in Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Poland, is a strategic investor in Tupalo.com.

While Tupalo is expanding, Eniro has divested its joint-venture holding in Suomi24, a Finish social media network. Eniro received 5.6 million euros to sell back its 50 percent stake to Aller Media Oy, citing a desire to focus on its local search core. Eniro and Aller will continue their partnership in other formats.

Yellowbook Network received the top raking among IYP networks in comScore’s June 2010 list of the Top 50 U.S. Web Properties. YellowBook, a division of Yell Group, ranked 26th overall in monthly unique visitors with 36.4 million.  SuperPages.com Network was next among IYPs with 34.1 million, followed by AT&T Interactive Sites with 28.1 million.