Australian Newsagency Blog

Sticking out of the window of the Australia Post shop on Park Street South Melbourne is an Australia Post branded ATM.  This ATM has appeared in an area well serviced with ATMs by banks and other commercial operators.
There was no need for Australia Post to enter a well serviced marketplace, no need for this government […]

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B&T is reporting this afternoon that Australia Post is standing firm on its price increase (3.6% for magazines) despite publisher and printer representations yesterday.  magazine publishers ought to engage with newsagents on a hybrid model which does not use Australia Post.  Make newsagencies the collection point.  The consumer saves on the cover price and we […]

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Australia Today is a new magazine being launched by Australia Post on June 29.  Priced at $3.50 per issue, the first issue will be free from Australia Post outlets.  Judging by the cover, Australia Today will have broad appeal: entertainment, food, lifestyle and travel.
This is an interesting move on a range of fronts including: magazines […]

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Mediaweek yesterday published a report about the impact of Australia Post price rises on magazine publishers and subscriptions fulfilled through Australia Post.
Publishers have been reacting angrily to notification from Australia Post this week about price increases which will affect the cost of filling subscriptions. One of Australia’s largest subscription fulfillment houses, D&D Mailing Services, has […]

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The bear and other items on display in the Government owned Australia Post shop say nothing about postage, the core product of this business. Not content to pursue independent newsagents through their stationery and greeting card offers, this Government owned business is also pursuing traditional seasons such as Mother’s day by offering items you […]

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The head of the U.S. Postal Service went before Congress late last week to deliver a submission seeking help in the wake of a considerable downturn in business.  While there are considerable differences between the US Postal Service and Australia Post, reading the report led me to wonder about the health of our mail delivery […]

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The government owned Australia Post shop opposite our newsXpress Forest Hill store has changed its hours on a Saturday.  It now closes at 1pm.  Tenants in a shopping centre have an obligation to support each other.  We rely on the traffic Australia Post pulls as do other retailers nearby - indeed we rely on each […]

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The Government owned Australia Post outlet opposite my Forest Hill store has undergone considerable change over the last two weeks - more than just the card changed I blogged about recently.  The new look is more open and welcoming - except when the custtomer line snakes through the store.  Looking in Friday morning, it certainly […]

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I noticed an Australia Post outlet promoting 50% off greeting cards on the weekend. I saw another with the same offer today. Then I saw the Government owned Australia Post outlet with all cards removed from their fixturing – as shown in the photo. I wonder if Australia Post is changing […]

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I was surprised to see stamps advertised as being available at Officeworks. When we applied for one of our newsagencies Australia Post refused. They said we were too close to one of their shops. I know of an Officeworks next to an Australia Post shop. I bet they have stamps. […]

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Through more than 850 Federal Government owned and operated retail Post Offices the government’s commitment to a sustainable small business economy is mocked. Successive Federal Governments have sat on their hands and allowed the bosses at Australia Post stray further beyond offering the services permitted under the Act. Indeed, they had the Act […]

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I was surprised to see this sign outside the Government owned Australia Post store at Forest Hill yesterday. Not only is Australia Post pushing deeper into traditional newsagency lines but they are discounting Christmas cards at a time when there should be no discount. I suspect that the supplier of greeting cards is […]

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The Government owned Australia Post store was closed for the VIP shopping night at Forest Hill Chase.  That they can get away with this is further evidence of them abusing their Government ownership for special treatment.

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Today is a perfect example of why the Federal Government should not own and operate the retail network of Australia Post shops. By closing Australia Post shops in Victoria today and avoiding penalty rates, the Government demonstrates, again, the advantage they have over newsagents.
While Government owned Post Offices are closed, newsagents in shopping centres […]

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I don’t mind competing with Dick Smith, JB Hi Fi, Harvey Norman, Officeworks or Big W in the ink and toner category. I do mind competing with Australia Post government owned stores. They are trading off a brand which is respected only because of its government ownership and protection. When they advertise […]

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I should be grumpy at Australia Post continuing to ignore the provisions of the Act under which it operates - the latest catalogue shows the Government owned organisation selling items way outside its charter. What chess sets and BBQ sets have to do with a postal service is beyond me. As I said, […]

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The buying power of the Government owned Australia Post retail network is in plain view with their current offer of reflex for $4.95 a ream. While Big W and other retailers offer reflex for this price from time to time, only Australia Post pulls consumers in for such a low cost - thanks to […]

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Decades of faithful support from newsagents of the Trading Post weekly newspaper has been “rewarded” by the publisher choosing Australia Post as the partner for its expanded online Trading Post auction offering. Traders will need to go to an Australia Post outlet (and stand in a line for too long) to complete a 100 […]

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The Government owned Australia Post shop opposite our newsagency had a big display window promoting Vodafone installed late last week.  It looks better in person than the photo shows.  We are jealous of the professional looking window and the deal they must on to justify the space and stock investment.
Mobile phone handsets are a challenge […]

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The Australia Post ad on the back page of the current issue of Woman’s Day is brilliant.
This is the kind of ad I want to see from my government owned national postal service. It’s promoting the mail service - not stationery or picnic sets or sports memorabilia or calendars or magazines.
This ad gets Australia […]

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Australia Post’s Mothers Day brochure demonstrates how far the government owned retail outlets have strayed from the services they are required to offer under the Act.
There are gift cards, books and all manner of Mother’s Day items but no stamps or postal services.
The Act permits Australia Post to get into other areas if they incidental. […]

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Our newsXpress Hot Ink pricing beats the ink offer being put about by Australia Post government owned stores.
Where we can’t beat the protected Australia Post retail network is in cost of traffic generation. Their monopoly over postal products and the brand recognition and traffic this brings means customer acquisition costs less than in newsagencies. […]

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While the JSquad magazine website says it’s available at newsagents and K-Mart, a colleague spotted the magazine in an Australia Post Post Shop last week. Not a newsagency which is also a Licenced Post Office, no, a full on Post Office.
Post Offices don’t sell magazines but not for lack of trying. For […]

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The photo is of a sign outside the government owned Australia Post retail shop at Forest Hill, in front of car park spaces reserved for Australia Post vehicles. To the left of this Australia Post car park is another spot painted in yellow and marked for Australia Post delivery vehicles.
I rarely see any more […]

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The brochure on the left has been pushed out far and wide by Australia Post. It makes the Post Office look like a phone retailer which they are in some locations. What is it with this government enterprise? Are they not happy with their postal service monopoly to the extent that they […]

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