Australian Newsagency Blog

The Australian Newsagents’ Federation today did a u-turn in advising newsagents to suspend direct debit authorities for the Bill Express equipment. They also said that their goal is the dissolution of the equipment rental agreements and that the present ANF Board had been placed in a complicated situation.
Today’s communication matches what I put to […]

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Click here to download a copy of the proof of debt form newsagent can complete to register as a creditor of OnQ. OnQ is the company which committed to paying a monthly rebate to newsagents. I have lodged a form for rebates not paid this year. Once you have completed the form, […]

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Based on ANF advice to newsagents, the organisation appears to be collectively bargaining on behalf of newsagents with Allco and Mobius in pursuit of a discounted settlement over newsagent’s Bill Express equipment rental agreement.
I cannot find authorisation from the ACCC on their Collective bargaining notifications register for the ANF to act on behalf […]

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We reused most of our Grazia display from last week this week.  We have used this week’s posters on the stand. Having the monochrome background enabled us to get away with it and to give Grazia our premium position two weeks running.
The stand (to the left) is important in a display like this […]

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I am surprised at the lack of Olympics themed magazines and related products. With the Beijing Olympic games just over a week away we have very little available, certainly not enough for a feature display. Maybe we missed out but I suspect not.  We had more feature magazines and one-shot titles for the […]

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US research company Borrell Associates has released a report predicting that 39% of the ad spend on print yellow pages in the US will disappear over the next five years.

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Check out the demands ASDA in the UK (Wal-Mart owned supermarket) is putting on magazine publishers as reported by the Guardian. I particularly like the proposed setup charge for a new title. New titles are expensive for newsagents, we carry the stock while the title finds its level. A new title setup […]

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We have placed Take 5 in our prime counter promotional position today because of the free guardian angel brooch which comes with the magazine this week.
While I’d prefer customers buy one of our guardian angels, I’m equally happy to sell magazines because of such a good giveaway.
We achieve between 60% and 75% of weekly Take […]

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The Banking Industry Ombudsman website has some helpful information for canceling a direct debit which may be useful to newsagents who have had payments deducted for Bill Express equipment this week even though they had cancelled the direct debit authority with their bank.

If you have given a third party an authority to debit your account, […]

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Mark Hawthorne at The Age today continues excellent reporting on Bill Express and the collapse of OnQ.
We have spoken to the Administrators of OnQ and they have provided a formal proof of debt form. This will need to be completed and lodged with Worrells in advance of any creditors meeting. My view […]

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The announcement from Starbucks was drenched in the harsh reality of business. Sixty one underperforming Australian stores will close within a week. Tenancies vacated, employees (partners) let go, supplier relationships terminated.
This is how corporates act. They put up with poor numbers for so long and then make the decision which has to […]

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While consumers would be happy that the Daily Telegraph has not increased its cover price for eight years, newsagents are not happy. What newsagents earn is based on the cover price. Having this fixed for eight years makes the Daily Telegraph considerably less valuable today than eight years ago. Rents are rising […]

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I am okay with magazine publishers including subscription offers in their publications. However, I am not okay with them talking us down in the process.
The photo is of a flyer inserted with National Geographic. This flyer claims we are expensive. We are. Rent and labour in newsagencies make up the most […]

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Newsagents are about to receive a letter reminding them about the importance of the accuracy of returns claims.  Network Services has increased the number of newsagent returns being audited.  This has resulted in some breach notices being issued and several newsagents having their contracts terminated.
Based on my recent experience on behalf of another newsagent, I […]

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OnQ, the parent of the collapsed Bill Express company, has announced the appointment of administrators.  This move was only a matter of time given once Bill Express collapsed.
I am a creditor of OnQ as are most newsagents.  The Agreement I signed commits the company to paying rebates as outlined in Schedule D attached to the […]

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Party like there’s no tomorrow. This is the theme of new marketing collateral from Tattersalls. We are going all by placing the poster in our empty Tattersalls scratch ticket bays.
Woo hoo.

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We have created a partworks row in front of our counter at the entrance to our Forest Hill store.  As with my last post, this says we are specialists.  Each of these partworks has been or is being advertised on TV.  Newsagents are the exclusive retail partner.  By being bold about these products we are […]

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We have created a small display around magazines with the SAVE MONEY! theme near our front lottery counter. Each title has been chosen because it offers practical advice on how to save money from budget meals through to cutting household costs.
Most of the titles rarely get to the front of the shop. None […]

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I have heard a rumour that Gloria Jeans coffee outlets are to trial a direct supply arrangement for a small range of magazine titles.  I mention it here in the hope that it may shake out either a confirmation or a denial.

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The departure of ANF (Acting?) CEO Don MacAskill today is an opportunity for the ANF to regroup from what has been an unsuccessful three years. The mission to unify newsagents behind a single national body has failed, newsagents are quitting the ANF over its involvement in promoting newsagents into the now collapsed Bill Express […]

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On the weekend I checked my Bill Express and Mobius equipment agreements and noticed that the document version markings, in fine print on the lower left corner of each page, matched.  These common markings link the Bill Express and Mobius equipment finance agreements.
Much has been made about these agreements being separate.  The ANF in its […]

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We are promoting Famous at the counter at our Frankston newsagency this week. The free nail file / shiner is bound to drive a good sales result for this poor cousin of the weeklies. The photo shows the display we have created to support Famous - it’s a copy of the counter displays we […]

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Last week it was Take 5 and That’s Life with very similar mastheads, today it is Woman’s Day and New Idea. Do the art departments from Pacific and ACP drink at the same pub? Customers are sure to be confused.

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Scott Karp has written an excellent piece about what newspapers could learn from the General Motors decision to transform their business around producing a commercially viable electric car. The connection between the GM reinvention and newspapers is covered in this paragraph:
All the talk about “saving newspapers” is focused on finding new business models to […]

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Newsagencies should have a good range of pencil cases. Most don’t. While there are a couple of basic student pencil cases, few newsagents have a good range. The photo shows part of a new range we have found for our newsagencies. They are selling well, especially to girls. Their […]

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