A blog on issues affecting Australia's newsagents, media and small business generally. More ...

Beyond the Need For a Pen: Selling Stationery to the Joy Seekers

If you stock stationery to serve a functional need, this post has been written for you.

I like pens and have more than 200 of them. Most are unused. When I am in a good stationery shop, I am likely to buy another pen. I go for colour, weight and how it feels across paper.

I also like notebooks and journals and have more than 100 of them. I go for small format, few pages, nice feeling paper and something that I can easily travel with.

I buy these things because I love them, not because I need them.

We all know people like this. Those who walk into a stationery store and emerge with items they did not need, but items they love.

I have a friend who buys stationery by colour, a specific colour. They gave boxes of it, and want more.

I met someone recently who buys sticky notes. They have a collection of more than 400. They want more.

While you can make good money selling stationery to whose who need it, the everyday stationery we all stock, there is this other, sometimes more lucrative market, some of us miss serving.

Here are a few tips on tapping into this opportunity:

  • Focus on the Experience. It’s not just a pen, it’s an extension of their personality. Highlight the smooth glide of a gel pen, the luxurious feel of heavyweight paper, the whimsical designs that spark inspiration.
  • Embrace the Unique. Cater to the collector’s heart. Offer limited edition lines, locally-made artisan products, or quirky finds you won’t see anywhere else.
  • Curate, Don’t Just Sell. Become a trusted source of inspiration. Feature themed collections, recommend perfect pairings (like a specific pen for that incredible notebook), and showcase how these products can elevate their creative process.
  • Speak Their Language. Use evocative descriptions that go beyond functionality. Talk about the “satisfying snap” of a good binder or the “velvety caress” of a high-quality pen.
  • Don’t Forget the Fun. Host workshops on calligraphy, sketching, note taking, letter writing, bullet journaling, or creative writing. Offer gift-wrapping services that turn a simple pen into a delightful present.

Remember, you’re not just selling stationery, you’re selling a feeling. You’re offering a chance to indulge in a little luxury, to spark creativity, and to express oneself through beautiful, well-crafted tools.

When considering buying inventory for this lover of stationery, approach it with a different mindset. Don’t look at it as functional stationery. Look at it as stock items that bring joy to others. Take care. Take your time. There is plenty of opportunity here.

This is a big opportunity for Aussie newsagents.

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newsagency of the future

Newsagents have the best Easter cards in Australia

If you are looking for an Easter card, your local newsagent is the best place to shop and there’s why:

Your local newsagency is likely to have the best range of cards available.

 

Range matters when buying an Easter card or any card because range gives you choice. Whether is a religious Easter card, a funny Easter card or a money wallet for Easter or an easter card sharing love, your local newsagency has Easter cards for many situations.

Plenty of people use Easter as an opportunity to send a hug to someone they care about. Cards in your local newsagency provide options for this.

A bonus is that many newsagents stock Easter cards that are made in Australia. If supporting Australian jobs and Australian businesses matters to you, buying your Easter cards in your local Aussie newsagency supports this.

Now, if you are wondering why should I send an Easter card this year, here are some reasons:

  • For many, Easter is a time for joy, hope, and new beginnings. Sending a card is a way to share those feelings with others, even if you can’t celebrate together.
  • Respecting the season. Easter is an important time on the religious calendar. A card and let a loved-one know you respect that.
  • If you have friends or family some distance away, an Easter card is a thoughtful way to let someone know you’re thinking of them.
  • It’s a tradition: Exchanging Easter cards has been a tradition for many years. It can be a nice way to connect with that.
  • Easter cards aren’t just for religious folks. Many cards feature springtime imagery or secular greetings that anyone can appreciate.
  • Make someone smile: A handwritten note or a funny Easter card is a guaranteed pick-me-up for many people.

Remember, the Easter card you send will hole a memory they are likely to cherish for many years to come. Write something memorable, so these memories of you live on years later when they open the old shoebox and find this year’s easter card.

Footnote: I have written this post for Google as people go there to ask where to buy Easter cards.

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newsagency marketing

Are you missing sales growth for your newsagency?

We’ve all been there. You walk into a trade show looking for ideas about the next hot product. Yet, a nagging doubt lingers: are these trends relevant to my customers?

Too many local small business retailers have a blind spot when it comes to what actually sells in their shops. This can cost the business a chunk of money.

I was talking to a newsagent not long ago who said they can’t  sell gifts prices at more than $30. When I asked why that was the case, they didn’t have an answer.

Another newsagent told me that they can’t sell pet related gifts. They, too, could not explain why.

Another newsagent told me that they could only sell cards priced at under $5.00. When asked, they told me they had never stocked cards worth m ore than $5.00.

These barriers we put upon ourselves created the narrative we listen to when stocking our shops. We make decisions that make the narrative in our head true.

You are not your customer.

Listening only to ourselves and surrounding ourselves with people who think like us limits what we see and hear. Sales reps push what’s hot with other stores, trade shows limit who can display and industry publications focus on broad trends. This can create an echo chamber, making it hard to hear the whispers of what your specific customer base truly wants.

Sticking with what’s “always sold” feels safe. Customer needs and preferences evolve. Clinging to the past can leave you with a dusty inventory and dwindling sales.

Data. Numbers don’t lie, but sometimes we don’t listen. Are you analysing sales data to see what moves quickly and what languishes? Ignoring your own in-store intel is a missed opportunity.

How do you fix this?

  • Watch TikTok. Currently, it provides the best out of left-field ideas from what I see. I have picked up excellent retail related ideas that I have not seen elsewhere from TikTok. Some have shocked me. Every single one of them has taught me something.
  • Embrace Customer Feedback: Talk to your customers! Conduct surveys, run polls on social media, or simply chat with them at the counter. What are they looking for? What problems do they need solved?
  • Listen: Everyone else working in the business, on the front line, hearing customer needs directly. Empower them to share insights and make informed suggestions about product selection.
  • Dig into the Data: Sales figures, abandoned carts, website click-throughs – these numbers tell a story. Use analytics tools to understand customer behaviour and tailor your offerings accordingly.
  • Embrace Experimentation: Don’t be afraid to test the waters with smaller batches of new products or surprise pop-up displays. See what resonates with your customers and what doesn’t.

What we can sell in the local newsagency is not bound by any rules. Play as far and wide as you are able. See how far you can take your business.

Be ready to be surprised. Embrace it.

We tried a category this past week in one of my shops, a category several thought would never work for us. $500 in sales in 5 days. 60% GP. It was an easy and valuable win.

You don’t know what you don’t know!

You are not your customer.

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Newsagency management

Advice for local card makers seeking to place their cards in retail shops

I have noticed an increase over the last six months in approaches by local card makers seeking to get their cards placed in the shop. It’s a challenge with complexities.

  • Some local card makers have not considered the margin retailers need when pricing their cards for sale from their own website or at local markets.
  • Some have not thought though how to display the product.
  • Some have never considered whether they would accept product for return.
  • Some have not researched what sells and what does not sell.
  • Some have made poor choices on card stock.

Cards are premium margin products in our businesses. To deliver the value we need, they need to sell. At minimum, we need to sell at least 12 of each card each year to break even on space, labour and capital investment cost. This is the benchmark: a pocket turn of 2 times a year, or in the case of these indie maker cards, a turn of 12 of a design in a year. And that is at a minimum.

While many of us want to support local card makers, too many of these makers have not through their go-to market strategy in a way that connects with potential retail partners.

When we say no, some take it personally about their designs, while this is not the case. It makes for a complex conversation.

While I am all for supporting local designers and makers, the arrangement needs to be commercially viable for both sides and have a plan behind it that shows the relationship to be sustainable.  There is one card maker I supported years ago who did not have replacement stock when I needed. It took three months.

Here are some things we have done to make it easier for the business to support local card designers:

  • We have a good space in the shop dedicated to displaying their product full face.
  • We have a stand for the counter that pitches 2 or 3 designs, for impulse engagement.
  • We show customers the local connection.
  • We use social media.
  • We share performance data so they can consider this when developing product.

While there are complexities with local card markers, there are some out there that get it and work to ensure the relationship is mutually viable.

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Newsagency management

Gift related suppliers are concerned about a trend

Gift suppliers have mentioned a trend that concerns them. It emerged around just over a year ago. Whereas in the past they would win a customer and receive follow-up orders from almost all of them, over the last fourteen months less than a third reorder.

Most of the suppliers who have mentioned this have good products, sought-after. A few are brand names.

A common reason by the retailer for not reordering is that they want change. This is despite the products performing well. I can’t work out why a retailer would ditch a range after selling through the first order.

In a couple of instances it was because an agent for a supplier placed their products in a nearby retailer soon after the first retailer ordered and before the products had had a chance to show how they would perform. I’d be unlikely to reorder in that situation.

There are legitimate reasons too. For example, a business transitioning to a higher average price point in gifts, or a business reallocating shop space to a whole new category they anticipate will perform even better. these are legitimate decisions for retailers to make.

One supplier is so frustrated by the trend that they have amped up their direct-to-consumer activities. I know a couple of others considering this.

I think this is an interesting topic for exploration between suppliers directly impacted by the trend and retailers, preferable retainers who have stocked those suppliers.

Looking at sellout data for a range of retailers this year, it appears that if product out of stock situations did not exist, retail turnover in those shops would be up between 5% and 10% based on previous sales analysis for that time of the year.

While there is an appeal for change in retail to show the business as evolving, there is the practical aspect of the evidence, data, that indicate certain sales if you have the stock. There is good reporting to demonstrate a trend for a product, so you can know when to cut it.

Suppliers do need to understand where they city in the retail business lifecycle. For example, not so long-ago newsagents focussed on gifts priced at $20 or thereabouts. Today, most engaged newsagents focus on gifts at $100, $200 and even more. While the lower priced gifts have a place, it is not the dominate place they occupied a few years ago.

As I noted, I think these are all things we ought to discuss.

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Newsagency management

Appointment retail is retail where you can only shop when the owner decides, and it is not what shoppers want

Before streaming services launched, the TV networks decided when we could watch something.

Before podcasts, radio stations decided when we could listen to something.

Before the internet, newspaper publishers decided when we could read news stories.

People love being able to watch, listen and read when they want. They love not having to consume to a time schedule set by a business.

Choice is important.

Appointment retail is retail where you can only shop when the owner decides.

If the shop does not have a website, you can only shop when the doors are open, you miss selling to people who prefer to choose when they do this.

In this video I share some thoughts about appointment retail and provide context for its relevance today.

I first shared the video around a week back. I am re-upping it today with additional context.

Appointment retail matters to newsagents since our channel is one of the slowest to adopt online. This sees many newsagents missing sales. I know because I have websites that have sold things to be delivered a few streets away from newsagents with the same products.

People want to shop when they want to shop and while your shop may feel busy, if you are not online you have no idea what you are missing.

There are other benefits of online:

  • You are more likely to know exactly what the shopper is looking for.
  • You can easily reach out to past shoppers based on what they purchased.
  • You have an alternative pricing outlet.
  • You can more easily win sales from a browser.
  • Sales are not limited to shop floor manpower.

What has happened with consuming entertainment is happening in retail.

If you say there are not enough shoppers in town, online could be helpful.

If you say this or that won’t sell here, you’re restricting your shopper reach.

If your business o=is not making what it needs for the rent or labour costs, being online can spread the load of carrying those costs.

If people around you are shopping online, which they are, being online can balance that.

Appointment retail is about you being where and when shoppers may purchase what you sell, without deciding when they can do this. It is about you being more flexible, available and ready.

My goal with this short video about appointment retail was to provide a context that gets people thinking about being online. What you do in your business that is up to you.

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newsagent software

Byline Times in the UK is gaining traction, demonstrating the value of genuinely independent journalism

The trust matters and if you want to support the truth, buy a real paper.

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Ethics

Small business retail advice: avoid being a victim in your business

If you find yourself blaming others or external factors for situations over which you have some level of control, it may be that you have a victim mentality.

While it can be easy to blame others and be self-forgiving, it serves no value to you or your business, though.

Some examples of blaming others are worrying about competitors who you think are copying your business, complaining about employees and things they did did that did not work out, being upset about the rent you pay, anger at being short of cash.

You choose what you stock, you hire and train employees, you signed the lease and you decide what money is spent.

Blaming others for any situation over which you have had some control holds you back; it denies you the opportunity to learn and improve.

Wallowing in self-pity can be destructive; it can lead one to want the comfort of failure, the right to blame anyone but themselves for a negative situation. It can see you seek negative situations, which is an utterly destructive place to be.

I have encountered plenty of newsagents with a victim mentality. In such situations, they miss what could be achieved by spending all their time blaming others.

If blaming others for business situations is something you notice yourself doing, consider seeking professional help. While you can break the cycle yourself, a professional can help you understand why and provide ways to identify and deal with it.

If seeking professional help does not appeal, consider meditation as a way to find calm and stillness and to be less controlled by negative victimhood thoughts.

I am no psychologist or therapist. My recommendation is that you start with a professional. That said, here are things I have done that help me focus on my role and the positive.

  1. On a noticeboard, at your desk, or somewhere in the business, have photos and other reminders of your successes. Be sure to look at them regularly.
  2. Celebrate your failures, the product that bombed, the ad that achieved nothing, the business initiative that lost money. Own them and your role in them.
  3. Exert your control. If you see something impacting your business you don’t like or want, be the business owner and say no early.
  4. Trust your gut. If you sense something is wrong somewhere in the business, address it immediately rather than wait for it to become an issue.
  5. Say no. If you don’t want to do something, say no.
  6. Make more informed decisions. Research more. Learn more. Be smarter.
  7. Always look beyond your border. Victims can think of their world as one in which they have minimal control when, in reality, they have control beyond what they allow themselves to see. Find a way to jump that wall.
  8. Nurture a workplace of accountability, where it is okay to make a mistake or take a bad decision.

Blaming someone else or other factors for something over which you have some control does not help you or your business. It may feel good. It achieves nothing.

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Newsagency management

Strong February card sales in the newsagency

We have  good results for February in our bigger high street newsagency in Melbourne. It did almost $13,000 in card sales, up 6%. This is good growth in what or proving to be a first quarter of low card sales growth, around 2%.

We also did $1,000 in sales from the cards we direct-imported from the US and UK that we pitch away from our traditional card department and to a younger demographic.

The growth is spread across everyday as well as lifestyle. Valentine’s Day was also good.

Cards remain a vital category for our businesses given the margin and that card shoppers are loyal.

In my experience, the card department delivers good rewards for in-store investment by the business. We work the category on social media as well as in-store with co-location promotion in the window and at the counter as well as the more traditional location.

On February comparison, be sure to look at February 1 through 28, don’t use the extra day as that may provide a rosier picture that is unhelpful for month on month analysis.

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Greeting Cards

Ancol chasing newsagents for stationery sales outside SA

Ancol, the stationery wholesale business owned by SA newsagents, is chasing wholesale business outside of South Australia. My experience is they are pushy for a new account, unhappy if you say no thanks.

Their website home page looks like it’s from the 1990s. The mention of the 2021-22 catalogue is unfortunate.

Between, GNS, Razor, ACCO, Ancol and others the wholesale stationery marketplace is crowded. Most of them seem to have not retreated to an online-model only, which I think is key to get the cost of product as low as possible. Reps are an expensive way to sell these days.

I mention online because we are buying plenty of niche stationery, stationery people want rather than the stationery they need from online without ever seeing a rep. It’s good and easy business, helping us expand range and reach new shoppers.

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Stationery

TheLott advertising on TikTok

Here’s the latest ad from TheLott on TikTok. This is 100% focussed on driving direct digital purchase with no mention of in-store.

While TheLott needs to do what it can to drive sales, and therefore shareholder value, the company places selfish, onerous and restrictive demands on its retailers, denying them the opportunity to maximise opportunities for their retail businesses.

I’d like to see TheLott ease demands and restrictions on its retailers, to allow them to make more profitable use of their retail space. This latest TikTok ad campaign opens an opportunity for this discussion since it is 100% about TheLott’s digital sales.

For those unaware, TheLott imposes tight restrictions on its retailers as to how space is used at, near and leading to the lottery sales counter. These restrictions deny retailers revenue opportunities. One could argue that the rules and restrictions placed on retailers by TheLott are all about branding that, in time, will have played a role in digital migration.

I think TheLott has invested in this TikTok ad because it knows there are shoppers in the TikTok viewer pool they can attract. The restrictions they place on retailers deny them maximising the same opportunity for their businesses.

Lottery purchases will continue to migrate online. It’s convenient for purchase, ticket checking and prize redemption. I am not saying it is over for in-store purchases. Rather, there is more growth opportunity from online I think.

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Lotteries

2023 vs. 2022 newsagency sales benchmark results

Thank you to the 117 newsagents trading under a variety of shingles and in a variety of settings (rural, regional and suburban high street) who provided sales data for this benchmark study. The only connection is that they use newsagency software from my POS software company. Their transparency will help many in our channel.

Print media decline has retail newsagents looking elsewhere.

2023 was a tough year for over the counter newspaper and magazine sales. The majority of newsagents, however, did not let that hurt the bottom line, they replaced the revenue declines with growth from better margin categories.

After comparing data from the businesses in the benchmark dataset here are the averages for business performance measurement points and categories, comparing the whole os 2023 with 2022:

  • Revenue: Up 2%.
  • Sales transaction count: Down 8%.
  • Basket value: Up 9%. This is an incredibly important number.
  • Items per basket: Up 5%. This is an incredibly important number.
  • Average item value: Up 4%. This is an incredibly important number.
  • Greeting card revenue: Up 1.5%.
  • Magazines unit sales: Down 10.5%. This is an unfair measure because of the big difference between businesses, bigger than for any other category.
  • Newspaper unit sales: Down 10%.
  • Toy (incl. plush) revenue: Up 5%. 33% of those in the study have this category
  • Gift revenue: Up 18%. The bigger growth in gift revenue came from businesses doing more than $50,000 a year in gifts.
  • Book revenue: Up 24%. 10% of those in the study have this category.
  • Fashion: 65%. 8% of those in the study have this category.
  • Stationery revenue: Up 9%. This is also an unfair measure because stationery now includes plenty of gifting items as it has changed.

The traditional newsagencies with minimal gift, toy and plush products are the ones facing the existential challenge. Some of these newsagents rely on newspaper publishers and other legacy suppliers for advice. That is proving to be a mistake.

If you want better results it is up to you to act.

There is no one size fits all solution, anyone who says there is is wrong.

The first step is to understand where you are at, from the data evidence in your business. next, you need a plan. Then, you execute with clarity and commitment, and draw on the support of others who have done this.

I own newsXpress, a marketing group supporting newsagents. newsXpress helps with this. If it interests you, please email help@newsxpress.com.au or call Michael Elvey on 0400 331 055 – he’s not a sales person, he’s part of the team encouraging success.

Mark Fletcher
M | 0418 321 338
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-fletcher-tower/

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Newsagency benchmark

The value of a website for your newsagency

Attracting shoppers from far away is one of the benefits of a website for any retail business. There are plenty of other benefits including being able to sell products when the shop is closed, letting people see what’s in-stock from their home, selling products before you have them in-store and quitting stock that’s not selling in-store to list a few more.

One of the biggest benefits of a website is the opportunity to create a plan b for the business, selling products in a completely different category to provide a fresh income stream, a soft landing should the core retail business find itself in rough waters. The two major websites I have related to my own retail business do this, they sell plenty of products not stocked in the shop with fulfilment from a ‘dark’ store, a space not open to in-store shopping but leveraging retail business resources for efficiency.

There are many benefits of selling online. Having a website today is as important as having a fax machine was twenty years ago. It’s a basic business tool.

Here are some newsagencies with websites. yes, they are all newsXpress businesses because I have their details at hand. Take a look. Some are completed and trading while others are early on that journey.

I have shared this list because showing is better than telling.

Most retailers tend to overthink their first website or two. The best advice is launch early and launch often. In other words, develop an idea and go with it. Learn about being online and evolve the website as you learn more.

The website does not have to reflect your shop, but it can if you want.

Web development is expensive, especially if it is done 100% in Australia like these have been. If you want to reach more shoppers, it is critical. But, a website is a hungry beast. feed it and it is more likely you serve you well. Don’t feed it, and it is likely to not serve you well.

Disclosure: my newsagency software company, Tower Systems, has made many websites for newsagents. newsXpress, the newsagency marketing group I own, offers members half price beautiful websites from Tower.

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Newsagency management

Has the beloved Ty brand lost its way in Australia?

For years, Ty products were hero products in toy shops and newsagents in Australia. Built around collecting Ty Beanie Boos and other products, sales were excellent and shoppers were loyal.

At the end of 2022 that changed with the decision by Ty in the US to make different arrangements for distribution in many international markets, including Australia.

While the products are the same adorable and loved products, from what I can tell they now appear to be targeting impulse shoppers. There was no product on offer for Valentine’s Day 2024, despite it being available overseas. I’ve been told that nothing is planned for Australia for Easter 2024 yet I have seen the Easter 2024 product overseas. I hope these products do make it to Australia.

Gone are opportunities offered retailers like us to nurture collector relationships. The focus does appear to be on pitching Beanie Boos as a low-cost impulse line. And while the company has its reasons for this, it appears the successful approach of us and other retailers serving collectors is of no interest.

Here’s an announcement they made on LinkedIn a couple of months ago:

Last year, Ty Australia set a maximum retail price at $1 lower than what had been traditional for Beanie Boos. They said sales would increase as a result. That has not been my experience. It’s unfortunate there was no consultation prior to their pricing decision, no consideration of past experience that showed it did not boost sales and that other tactics were far more successful at boosting sales.

Time change, trends come and go, I understand that. What has happened here is not that. Collector interest was as strong as ever. The decline has been driven by the company for reasons only it understands.

Communication from Ty Australia has been non-existent. This has not been helped by a succession of senior staffing changes. I’m not sure why people with good experience in the field are not staying with the company that long.

Maybe what is happening with Ty in Australia is the same as we see happening with some other overseas suppliers: disconnecting with previously successful local retailers in pursuit of change for reasons not explained. It will be interesting to see how that plays out for them. In the meantime, I’ve found other uses for the freed space and new customers to attract as a result.

We had an excellent and profitable run with Beanie Boos and other Ty products in my shops for many years, and maybe we will at some point in the future. For now, though, the company is more interested elsewhere. Good luck to them.

Has Ty lost its way in Australia? Time will tell.

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Newsagent suppliers

UK Spring Fair offers plenty of inspiration and opportunities

I am grateful for the opportunity to visit the UK Spring fair last week in Birmingham.

Several times the size of Australia’s largest gift fair, we got to see suppliers not currently represented in Australia as well as broader ranges from suppliers already represented. It was also good to meet Aussie suppliers to show what we liked.

It was wonderful seeing how suppliers presented their ranges, like Paper Salad, which is available in Australia via Waterlyn. The stand was stunning and inspiring.

Spring Fair is far more diverse in product categories than we see in Australia. We bought from several suppliers not represented locally. We also picked up some visual merchandising as well as product ranging tips that I think we will be able to use in-store.

A big trend at the fair was British made. This was good to see. While cheaper offshore sourced products from bigger companies tended to have bigger stands, the British made message did stand out. Another noticeable trend was ethically copurced, sustainably sourced. These trends of product source and sustainable supply matter especially to Gen Alpha and Gen Z – important co-horts to our businesses.

I appreciate not everyone can get to overseas trade shows. If you can, go. If you can’t see if your marketing group has people who go and can share their insights.

Retail continues to evolve apace, especially in our channel. What we are and what we can sell continues to change and in this there are many opportunities. Getting offshore to see some ahead of us can be helpful, advantageous.

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Newsagency management

Fujifilm and Scribbler unite to offer card kiosk in Australia

I have been watching the roll out of the Scribbler branded card vending kiosk from Fujifilm in the UK for over a year. I first used the kiosk myself a year ago and I spoke with Fujifilm people at the Spring Fair in Birmingham in 2023.

Now, Fujifilm Australia have confirmed this is coming to Australia.

In the UK, in addition to placement in the popular Scribbler stores, I am told they have these kiosks placed in some university and non retail commercial locations.

The card printed is on bigger paper that is not as thick as a usual card. The selling feature is the range of cards that you may not find in-store.

The hardware costs around $14,000 in Australia and the initial kit of consumables costs around $1,200.

I don’t have visibility of the licence fee or wholesale cost of each card. They are yet to release integrated payment options for Australia.

It will be interesting to see the take up in Australia. In the UK, where I am at the moment, the Scribbler retail network footprint has enabled a broad roll out to educate shoppers. The company does na excellent job promoting the kiosk cards on the front window of its stores.

While time will tell if this is a disruptor in the creating card space, I do think that this is out in the market is good for cards. I also think it especially works with the Scribbler brand because of their 100% humour focus.

There are a few misses in my view:

  • The paper stock is not ideal.
  • The kiosks I have tried have had some cards that are also in the shop and the kiosk version does not feel as good.
  • There is only one size currently from what I can tell.
  • The shop has to be open to make the purchase in the Scribbler versions I have seen.

The plusses are:

  • The kiosk may broaden card appeal.
  • It can make more products available in less space.
  • You can write on the card from a keyboard.

While I have no knowledge of specific plans in Australia and no connection whatsoever with this product, I expect we will start to hear more about it soon. I expect they’ll have a stand at one or more trade shows to launch.

The innovation by Scribbler and Fujifilm encourages those of us with greeting cards in our shops to innovate, to appeal to a broader range of people and to encourage people to buy more cards.

For more on the kiosk roll out, there was a story by Printweek and a launch announcement by Fujufilm.

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Greeting Cards

AFL Record promotes newsagents

While I’d prefer them to list newsagents ahead of the supermarket giants, it is good to see the channel pitched. If only other publishers would do this.

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magazines

Are trade shows less important to retailers and suppliers?

As trade shows kick off in Australia for 2024, it’s a good time to contemplate the value of these events for suppliers and retailers.

I’ve already been to three trade shows overseas this year and several suppliers at two of these shows have told me that the trade shows are not what they used to be, that they have not bounced back post-Covid.

One supplier I spoke to earlier this week told me they were ending their 15-year commitment to the UK Spring Fair trade show. The A$10,000 stand cost and associated costs of A$4,000 plus the 4 days away were not generating sufficient return. This supplier has found plenty of new customers in other places thanks to tech innovation and change in how, where and when retailers purchase inventory.

I think how we discover new products for our shops and how we buy them has fundamentally changed for many of us. Whereas in the past getting to trade shows was the must do thing in the year, it is no longer the case.

For sure, there are some retailers who rely on and will continue to rely on trade shows. I think those less likely to are those chasing newer products, those chasing retail innovation.

As a supplier to several retail channels, I can share that in my own case the percentage of the marketing budget committed to trade shows in 2024 will be barely 10% of what it was in 2019 and new customer business will be considerably more than 2019. We, like so many suppliers, have found other ways to discover and connect with new customers.

From a retailer perspective it means we need to be engaged with other places where we can discover new suppliers. There are new online platforms. Smart marketing groups are pitching products in different ways. We are able to easily source more products from overseas than before.

For the newsagency channel, the value of trade shows has changed in part because of changes to our product mix.

I am not saying that trade shows are dead. Rather, the engagement of some suppliers and retailers with them has changed. No longer, for example, do we need 3 or 4 days at a Gift Fair. It can be a 1 or 2 day thing. Smart suppliers use the trade shows to showcase and back this with tech that enables easy purchasing online.

Trade shows are expensive for suppliers and for retailers. The cost of space has continued to rise while the foot traffic attracted has been flat, in decline or, at the very least, less commercially valuable than in the past.

I think the changes we are seeing here are reflective of changes we are seeing elsewhere in business. Ultimately, the changes are good, healthy, as they help us see changes we can make.

I spent two days at the huge Spring Fair in Birmingham UK and I am grateful to have connected with several new suppliers and to have met some Australian suppliers to talk with them about what they found and what we found. It is in this type of networking that one of the values of trade shows remains.

Are trade shows less important to retailers and suppliers? For some, yes, while for others, no. It’s worth contemplating the return on the investment.

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Newsagency management
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