Australian Newsagency Blog

I noticed the Valentine’s themed Lovatts crossword title so decided to place it with one of our Valentine’s displays.   People buy all manner of gifts for Valentine’s Day so why not a crossword title?
I’ll take every opportunity I can to promote several categories of products at once around a them.  It makes sense.  For Valentine’s […]

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Thanks to Steven Denham’s blog, I found this image of an ad from The Sun from London last weekend.  The free DVD promoted in the newspaper can only be redeemed from one of three major retailers.  This reminded me of the promotions run in Adelaide by News Ltd’s Adelaide Advertiser where redemption was through BP.
Newsagents, […]

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PaidContent reports that the New York Daily News is to offer free music downloads for readers.  Inside the newspaper on two consecutive Sundays will be a code which provides access to three downloads from a library of 120,000 songs.
This is quite different to the launch and distribution last year in the UK of the new […]

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I’ve owned my newsagency at Forest Hill in Victoria since February 1996 and over the twelve years have been independent, with Newspower and with Nextra - before joining newsXpress in mid 2005. What I looked for in a group was business building strategies as well as excellent commercial terms. While I am biased […]

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We are repeating the counter pitch for the social stationery in the photo. Regulars here will recall we first tried this product late last year. It was a roaring success. These attractive pads work a treat with card customers. It’s great seeing someone come to the counter with a bithday card […]

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I have received considerable private correspondence about my comments here on the price of stationery in newsagencies. There is little consistency in the views expressed. They range from: all newsagents should sell stationery for the same price, to: we should always undercut the majors when it comes to price.
It is impractical for our […]

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One of the most successful newspaper promotions I can recall is coming again. Monopoly starts in a few days in the Herald Sun. We are going to actively support the promotion and use the opportunity to leverage add-on sales around the promotion.

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Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to shine around the Darrell Lea brand. These boxes of chocolates work very well next to the card display. I especially like that the folks at Darrell Lea have provided the range with a slim stand - to enable it to fit with greeting card and other […]

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Take 5 is one of two magazines ACP Magazines wants us to promote this week as part of their Connections program.  They have sent an excellent in merchandising kit.  The magazine itself comes with a free make-up compact - a compelling offer.
While I expect the ACP marketing team are hoping for an increase in sales.  […]

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The latest catalogue promotion from Australia Post, running Jan. 28 through Feb. 17, is a rip off in my view.  Take page 5 (see photo) - HP 56 + 57 twin pack.  The Australia Post price is $69.95.  The price in my newsagency is 10% less yet I don’t have the buying power of thousands […]

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I’ve been invited to participate in one of the public hearings of the Productivity Commission next month. This is in response to the written submission I made on behalf of newsXpress and newsagents in shopping centres more generally. I am grateful to have an opportunity to comment on the draft report and provide […]

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If the future of newspapers is on your mind, read the sobering column by Roy Greenslade writing at The Guardian about a recent study which showed that of those who did not read a newspaper regularly only 3% consulted a newspaper website regularly.
The competition for eyeballs if fierce - not only for news content […]

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If size is a measure of health then I wonder about the future of computer magazines. What we have on our shelves today is Australian titles which are half the size they used to be two years ago.
The size of the magazines means they need less space and this is leading to a reduction […]

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Even though Valentine’s Day is still two weeks away, sales are strong.  Cards, plush and gifts are all selling well.  Going out early with our display was a good move.  While we don’t embrace the season as much as they do in the US, we’re getting there - I am keen to provide a more […]

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Thanks to Leonard Witt’s excellent pjnet blog I have been fortunate to find the following podcast, The Future of Newspapers, from San Francisco based public radio station KQED. The 51 minute podcast is fascinating. Australian newsagents should listen as should newspaper executives in Australia who publicly say that it’s business as usual for […]

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The Biggest Loser cookbook has arrived in time for the start of the new TV series on Network Ten so we’re featuring it at the counter.
While I am unhappy that we are not making traditional bookseller margin on this title, my goal is to sell the stock I have while interest is high and before […]

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Below are the details of more (free) online training opportunities for newsagents using the Tower Systems software. The new courses on offer are:
Magazine Management Jan. 29 at 10am. This session will cover all aspects of magazine management; from Arrivals, Returns, Putaway Management and over/under supply. This session will be repeated several more […]

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The government owned Australia Post retail outlet opposite my newsagency at Forest Hill was closed today.  Yes, they pick and choose how they interpret the Act of Parliament under which they conduct their retail network.
Today’s closure is arrogant and demonstrates the value of their monopoly.  An unprotected business could not close today.  No major shopping […]

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We received more copies of the Australian Country Collections 2008 Diary today.  While I am pleased that they have delayed billing and have provided 33% commission instead of the usual 25%, it’s not enough.  For us to move these diaries we need to be offering at least 25% off.  The publisher ought to have provided […]

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I had a customer ask which was the current issue if Pick Me Up - she was buying it for an ill neighbour.  It is frustrating having local and imported magazines with the same title and design - oh, an such a big difference in price.  No wonder customers get confused.  I’d prefer to be […]

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With Heath Ledger stories dominating the weekly magazines, we have created a display at the front of the newsagency:

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Further to my previous post this morning about displaying product at the counter, at our Frankston location we have a small display area right at the front of the shop, on the corner of the counter.
Sherie created the display Momiji dolls you can see in the photo - it’s an excellent display with the fan […]

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Short on time last week and with or usual main counter magazine display stand in use elsewhere in the newsagency, we took the lazy approach and moved an old mini ACP Cookbooks stand to the spot next to the counter.
That was six days ago. A check of sales data today shows that the lazy move […]

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Here is the first part of our two-part Chinese New Year promotion - we have most of our stock coming in this week.  In this initial display we have Chinese New Year cards, red packets and Tatts lottery gift pack ideas.

The display is at our main lottery counter.  You can see the Herald Sun stand […]

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The Age and the Herald Sun each have free DVDs with the newspaper today - shows from the 2008 line-up for the nine and ten networks respectively. Each is a good promotion - a perfect newspaper tie-in.  My only beef is the grumpy customers who have their newspaper home delivered and come in to claim […]

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