<PAGE>
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
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SCHEDULE 14D-1
TENDER OFFER STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(D)(1)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
AND
SCHEDULE 13D
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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METROMAIL CORPORATION
(NAME OF SUBJECT COMPANY)
GREAT UNIVERSAL ACQUISITION CORP.
THE GREAT UNIVERSAL STORES P.L.C.
(BIDDERS)
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COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $.01 PER SHARE
(TITLE OF CLASS OF SECURITIES)
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591680 103
(CUSIP NUMBER OF CLASS OF SECURITIES)
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JOHN W. PEACE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
OF EXPERIAN INFORMATION SERVICES DIVISION
THE GREAT UNIVERSAL STORES P.L.C.
LECONFIELD HOUSE CURZON STREET
LONDON, ENGLAND W1Y7FL
(44) 171 495-0070
(NAME, ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO
RECEIVE NOTICES AND COMMUNICATIONS ON BEHALF OF BIDDER)
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COPY TO:
DONALD G. LUBIN, ESQ.
SONNENSCHEIN NATH & ROSENTHAL
8000 SEARS TOWER
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60606
CALCULATION OF FILING FEE
(312) 876-8000
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MARCH 12, 1998
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
TRANSACTION VALUATION* AMOUNT OF FILING FEE
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<S> <C>
$734,793,239 $146,959
</TABLE>
(DATE OF EVENT WHICH REQUIRES FILING OF THIS STATEMENT)
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* Estimated for purposes of calculating the filing fee only. This amount
assumes the purchase of 22,516,996 shares of Metromail Corporation Common
Stock, including the associated preferred stock purchase rights ("Shares"),
which are outstanding at $31.50 per Share, and 2,087,119 Shares which are
subject to outstanding options at $31.50 per Share less the exercise price
of such options. The amount of the filing fee, calculated in accordance
with Rule 0-11(d) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
equals 1/50 of one percent of the value of the Shares to be purchased.
[_]Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Rule 0-11 (a)(2)
and identify the filing with which the offsetting fee was previously paid.
Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form
or Schedule and the date of its filing.
Amount Previously Paid: Not applicable.
Form or Registration No.: Not applicable.
Filing Party: Not applicable.
Date Filed: Not applicable.
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PAGE 1 OF 9 PAGES EXHIBIT INDEX ON PAGE 9
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SCHEDULE 14D-1 AND 13D
Page 2 of 9 Pages
CUSIP NO. 591680 103
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1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS: THE GREAT UNIVERSAL STORES P.L.C.
I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: N/A
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2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP;
(A)[_]
(B) [_]
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3 SEC USE ONLY
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4 SOURCE OF FUNDS:
WC
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5 CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO
ITEM 2(D) OR 2(E):
[_]
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6 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION:
ENGLAND
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7 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON:
9,093,634*
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8 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (7) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES:
[_]
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9 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (7):
40.4%*
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10 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON;
HC AND CO
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* On March 12, 1998, The Great Universal Stores P.L.C., a corporation
organized under the laws of England ("Parent"), and Great Universal
Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation and an indirect wholly-owned
subsidiary of Parent ("Purchaser"), entered into (i) a Stock Purchase
Agreement (the "Donnelley Stock Purchase Agreement"), with R.R. Donnelley &
Sons Inc. ("Donnelley"), the beneficial owner of 8,600,000 Shares, or
approximately 38.2% of the Shares outstanding on March 6, 1998, pursuant to
which Donnelley agreed, upon the terms and conditions set forth therein, to
sell such Shares to Purchaser, to vote such Shares in the manner specified
in the Donnelley Stock Purchase Agreement with respect to certain matters
and to appoint Parent as Donnelley's proxy to vote such Shares in certain
circumstances, and (ii) Stock Purchase Agreements (the "Executive Stock
Purchase Agreements") with Barton L. Faber, Chairman of the Board of
Metromail Corporation (the "Company"), Thomas J. Quarles, Senior Vice
President, General Counsel, Chief Administrative Officer and Secretary of
the Company, and Ronald G. Eidell, the Senior Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer of the Company (the "Executives") who beneficially own an
aggregate of 493,634 Shares, or approximately 2.2% of the Shares
outstanding on March 6, 1998, pursuant to which the Executives agreed, upon
the terms and conditions set forth therein, to tender or otherwise sell to
Purchaser the Shares beneficially owned by them, to vote such Shares in the
manner specified in the Executive Stock Purchase Agreements with respect to
certain matters and to appoint Parent as Donnelley's proxy to vote such
Shares in certain circumstances. Parent also entered into a Stock Purchase
Agreement, dated as of March 12, 1998 (the "Company Stock Purchase
Agreement"), with the Company. Upon the terms and conditions set forth in
the Company Stock Purchase Agreement, the Company agreed to issue and sell
to Parent, that number of Shares, if any (the "Company Shares"), equal to
the number of Shares that when added to the sum of the number of Shares (a)
the number of Shares accepted for purchase by Purchaser pursuant to the
Offer, (b) the number of Shares, if any, purchased by Parent from Donnelley
pursuant to the Donnelley Stock Purchase Agreement simultaneously with the
acceptance of Shares for payment pursuant to the Offer, and (c) the number
of Shares, if any, purchased by Parent from the Executives pursuant to the
Executive Stock Purchase Agreements simultaneously with the acceptance of
Shares for payment pursuant to the Offer, constitutes 51% of the
outstanding Shares on a fully-diluted basis giving effect to the issuance
of the Company Shares, at a per share purchase price equal to the Offer
Price. The Donnelley Stock Purchase Agreement, the Executive Stock Purchase
Agreements and the Company Stock Purchase Agreement are described more
fully in Section 11 of the Offer to Purchase dated March 16, 1998.
2
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SCHEDULE 14D-1 AND 13D
Page 3 of 9 Pages
CUSIP NO. 591680 103
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1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON: GREAT UNIVERSAL ACQUISITION CORP.
S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO.
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2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP
(A)[_]
(B) [_]
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3 SEC USE ONLY
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4 SOURCE OF FUNDS
AF
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5 CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO
ITEMS 2(E) OR 2(F):
[_]
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6 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION:
STATE OF DELAWARE
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7 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON:
9,093,634*
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8 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (7) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
[_]
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9 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED TO AMOUNT IN ROW (7):
40.4%*
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10 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
CO
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*The footnote on page 2 is incorporated by reference herein.
3
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[LETTERHEAD OF METROMAIL]
NEWS RELEASE
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METROMAIL ACKNOWLEDGES THAT ABI IS SEEKING TO ENJOIN METROMAIL/GUS TRANSACTION
Lombard, Ill./March 18, 1998 -- Metromail Corporation (NYSE:ML), a leading
provider of direct marketing and database marketing services, today
acknowledged that a suit has been filed in the Delaware Chancery Court by
American Business Information, Inc. (ABI) to preliminarily and permanently
enjoin the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the previously
announced merger agreement between Metromail and The Great Universal Stores
P.L.C. (GUS) pursuant to which GUS commenced a tender offer on March 16, 1998 to
acquire all of the outstanding shares of Metromail stock for a net price of
$31.50 per share in cash.
Metromail has not yet received a complete copy of the complaint for such suit
and is evaluating this situation.
Separately, Metromail announced that it has obtained an irrevocable letter of
credit that satisfies one of the conditions of the obligation to GUS to
consummate its previously announced tender offer. Please refer to Metromail's
Schedule 14D-9 for more information with respect to the transaction.
Metromail Corporation (www.metromail.com) is a leading provider of direct
marketing, database marketing and reference products and services in the United
States and United Kingdom. Metromail helps its customers identify and reach
targeted audiences, utilizing its comprehensive, proprietary consumer database
encompassing 95 percent of U.S. households, as well as providing database
marketing software and related services. Sales for the year ended December 31,
1997 increased almost 17 percent over the prior year to more than $328 million.
The company has 3,200 employees and is headquartered in Lombard, Illinois.
