Another full page ad in the latest Australian Women’s Weekly
A big shout out to newsXpress newsagents on the Morning Show in Seven this week
To celebrate 45 years of The AWW Children’s Birthday Cake Book, the Royal Australian Mint has partnered with The Australian Women’s Weekly for its latest coin release.#womensweekly #australianwomensweekly #birthdaycakebook #awwchildrensbirthdaycakebook #royalaustralianmint… pic.twitter.com/zRPpIA4qR9
— The Morning Show (@morningshowon7) June 12, 2025
The $2 coloured coin. change opportunity is driving good traffic
— Mark Fletcher (@emef) June 14, 2025
Terrific story for newsXpress Mount Morgan
From 7 News central Queensland on June 12:
Toys are a growth category for engaged newsagents and here’s why
The detailed April toy sales data are in and it was an awesome month for toy sales in indie retail in Austral;ia.
April 2025 experienced +7% in toy sales dollars, +1% in units. +6% in average price.
Games/Puzzles (+54%) was the top category gainer for this month, followed by Buildings Sets (+15%), Action Figures (+19%), Bicycles (+33%), Outdoor and Sports Toys (+3%), Plush (+1%) and Youth Electronics (+1%).
Jigsaw puzzles are having a moment again. I know of newsagents selling $2,000 in jigsaws a month without any marketing and discounting.
Dolls (-9%), Arts & Crafts (-10%) and Explorative and Other Toys (-8%) were the 3 largest category decliners for this month.
For YTD April 2025 vs. LY, Australia Toys was up +4% in dollars meanwhile globally toys market was up (+6%).
Top 5 Dollar licenced properties April ‘25
#1 – Pokémon#2 – Formula 1#3 – Hot Wheels
#4 – Star Wars
#5 – Barbie
Top 5 Dollar Gaining Properties April ’25 vs. April ’24
#1 – Formula 1
#2 – Pokémon
#3 – Minecraft
#4 – LEGO Speed Champions
#5 – Toniebox
This is all good news for newsagents engaged with toys beyond the cheap toy spinners offered on consignment – that end of the market is in decline. The growth is in good licences, higher end product and a toy department kids are welcome in.
Consignment spinners have no place in a modern newsagency in my view.
There are newsagency businesses doing well over $100,000 a year in toys. Anyone can do this. All it takes is for you to be a smart retailer.
Here are some reasons for toy growth:
- Parents are becoming more proactive in seeking toys that promote learning through play. Science kits, robotics, coding games, and building sets (like LEGO and Connetix) are in high demand, aligning with Australia’s education system which encourages problem-solving and critical thinking.
- Toys based on popular entertainment franchises, movies, TV shows, and video games continue to be a major sales driver. Properties like Pokémon, Formula 1, Hot Wheels, Star Wars, and Barbie consistently perform well, demonstrating the power of strong brand recognition.
- A growing segment of adults purchasing toys for themselves, often driven by nostalgia, collecting, or hobby interests, is also contributing to market expansion. This “kidult” market often has higher disposable income and is drawn to limited editions and high-value items.
- There’s a rising demand for toys made from eco-friendly and ethically sourced materials, reflecting a broader societal trend towards responsible consumption. Manufacturers are responding by incorporating sustainable materials like bamboo and organic cotton.
- Sales data reveal that Australian families are willing to invest in higher-quality, more expensive toys, especially those that offer long-term play value, educational benefits, or align with aspirational parenting goals.
Tap into these and you’ll win.
Significant price increase for McPherson Group newspapers
Wow, the prices rise announced by the McPherson Media Group for its newspapers are considerable. These take effect from June 30.
It will be interesting to see if this 25% increase impacts unit sales.
On the 25% increase: while each cost point of print newspaper production has increased, I suspect it’s the physical distribution cost that has gone up the most. certainly this is what we are seeing elsewhere in retail – the cost of physically moving products is much higher today than a year ago.
Huge interest in the Australian Women’s Weekly Birthday Cake Book coins
While the June 12 release date is a few days away, already the interest in and hype around the release of the Australian Women’s Weekly Birthday Cake Book coins is huge. Calls, emails and texts are coming in at a fast rate to all newsXpress stores.
This interest is in part due to the excellent media coverage in Are Media titles (Better Homes and Gardens, New Idea, That’s Life, Who, Australian Women’s Weekly) as well as TV on a number of shows, radio on a number of shows too as well as other media outlets (Delicious for example..
The story on A Current Affair over the weekend about the Australian Women’s Weekly Birthday Cake Book itself has fuelled more interest too.
There is no doubt that all the media coverage is driving interest in the Australian Women’s Weekly Birthday Cake Book, other cookbooks and the soon to be released coins.
The behind the scenes logistics for this release have been considerable. For my own business we have our main website, www.mintcoinshop.com.au, having been re-designed. We are taking it offline for all of tomorrow to stress test it ready for the 6am Thursday launch. Then there is the logistics challenge of getting inventory to 100+ shops across Australia as well as in-store collateral and product training.
The data link between the Tower newsagency software and the websites being operated by newsXpress members will be key to capturing online sales. This will help these newsXpress stores reach beyond their usual local shoppers.
This is all being done under the requirements of the Royal Australian Mint and in consideration of the product licence holders, Are Media. There are people people involved, many requirements to meet.
I can’t recall there being anything like this in the history of our channel. It will deliver many new customers for newsXpress members.
There are some who have questioned why newsXpress got this and not other groups. It was newsXpress that cultivated the relationship with the Mint many years ago, showing what a small and tight group in our channel could achieve in terms of their mission to reach more Australians. In the years since, mutual respect has grown to the point where we are now the exclusive retailer for their most significant release of the year.
Starting June 12, newsXpress stores across Australia will demonstrate to many what collaboration can deliver. The benefits beyond the coin products themselves will be felt by the businesses for ages to come. This is a wonderful moment for these local newsXpress businesses and for our channel.
If you have people asking where they can get the coins, click here for a full list of stockists.
Navigating award wage increases: smart strategies for local retailers including newsagents
Recent news flowing from the 3.5% increase to award wages has highlighted the concerns of some retailers. There has been news flowing from the Fair Work Commission’s 3.5% increase in award wages. It’s understandable that any cost increase can be unsettling, particularly for businesses operating on tight margins or at a break-even point.
We can either complain or act. It’s only by acting that we can work on our own businesses. While complaining may make us feel good, it achieves nothing, and it can have us looking at the matter selfishly when, in fact, we benefit from those on award wages having more money in their pocket to spend.
Many businesses operate under lease agreements that stipulate annual increases exceeding this wage adjustment. Why accept one guaranteed annual cost increase without complaint, yet complain over another that is often lower and less predictable?
In retail, people are an invaluable asset. A 3.5% wage increase in our current economy can be seen as a modest adjustment for such a vital component of any successful retail operation. For many local newsagencies, the direct impact of this increase on labour costs is likely to be under $100.
Instead of focusing on the challenge, let’s explore proactive strategies to not only absorb this cost but also enhance your business’s overall profitability. This isn’t about “poor me” – it’s about smart, adaptive retailing.
Here are some actionable ideas to consider:
- Rethink your pricing strategy: Embrace the value of local convenience. For categories like stationery, consider a mark-up of at least 110%. While many newsagents currently apply a 100% mark-up, a slight increase to 120% is unlikely to deter sales and will significantly boost your margins.
- Maximise counter sales: Strategically place high-margin, easy-to-purchase impulse items at your sales counter. Focus on products not readily available in convenience stores or supermarkets. As a fun and engaging touch, feature two of your funniest greeting cards, rotating them weekly to keep things fresh.
- Optimise your shop layout: Dedicate the front three metres of your store to products with strong profit margins. Minimise the presence of low-margin (under 50% gross profit) items in this prime retail space.
- Curate an engaging window display: Your front window is a powerful marketing tool. Make it “awesome” and unique every single week to capture attention and draw new customers in.
- Explore new product categories: Think outside the box! Can you introduce a product category that feels unexpected for your shop but has the potential to attract a new customer base? Innovation can lead to exciting discoveries.
- Drive productivity gains: Foster an environment that encourages productivity from everyone in the business, including yourself. Small efficiencies can add up to significant savings and increased output.
- Leverage your card department: Your greeting card section can be a hidden gem. By analysing your own sales data and working strategically with your card supplier, you can identify opportunities for easy wins. I’ve seen businesses boost card revenue by as much as 20% through targeted actions in this area.
This isn’t rocket science. In every retail business, there are straightforward adjustments that can generate that extra $100 or more. It simply requires a bit of focused time and attention.
I am confident that a review of any newsagency business could find the funds needed to cover the additional labour cost.
While it’s easy to express dissatisfaction, energy is better spent on proactive solutions. Prices naturally fluctuate, and rather than being surprised, local small business retailers have an opportunity to engage with these changes in a smarter, more strategic way.
There is a huge difference in newsagency software
There is a huge difference in newsagency software solutions. So much has changed in terms of technology and so much has changed in terms of the needs of newsagency businesses and the suppliers with which they connect.
- AI use among newsagencies is bigger than ever. I am personally using this in my own newsagency every day. It’s a true game-changer.
- Direct supplier connections are more abundant than ever.
- Newsagents using tech to transform their businesses is more widely the experience than ever. I’m yet to find a supplier invoice PDF that I can’t import in seconds. This is saving so much time.
- Newsagents selling online more so than ever before. I know of newsagents doing $400,000 a year online and more through a Shopify website direct connected to their in-store newsagency software.
- Reduced accounting and other overheads thanks to direct integrations.
These are some of the advances in newsagency software, advances that typically save many times the cost of the software to the business.
AI is the big news though. I can’t imagine using newsagency software that does not have embedded AI tools. The changed everyday are that considertable.
The extent of change in newsagency software and the benefits delivered is reflected in newsagency choices. Tower Systems dominates the marketplace now with more than 1,800 newsagent customers.
Newsagency software today looks nothing like just a few years ago. It does more, delivers more tangible benefits.
Now if all this reads like a pitch for Tower Systems, it is. I sold Tower Systems last year. I am writing this today as a newsagent using the Tower Systems newsagency software in my newsagency – a business run under management successfully.
Modern newsagency software has moved beyond transaction processing to become a truly transformative force. That’s what I am experiencing.
The integration of AI, the seamless handling of supplier invoices, robust e-commerce capabilities, and direct accounting integrations collectively streamline operations and significantly reduce overheads.
This technological evolution saves substantial time and money. Best of all, it empowers newsagents to embrace new revenue streams and efficiencies, fundamentally reshaping how they operate and thrive in today’s dynamic retail landscape.
Take a look at your newsagency software and make sure it is delivering for you what you want / need in a rapidly changing marketplace.
ALNA workshop on using AI in your business
I am grateful to ALNA for the opportunity to talk with more newsagents about using Artificial Intelligence in retail businesses. Here are the details for the session announced by ALNA:
Business Boost Live Webinar: Using AI in Your Small Business
Wednesday 18 June 2025 at 12:00pm (AEST)
Join ALNA CEO Ben Kearney and special guests Mark Fletcher and Gavin Williams from Tower Systems, as they discuss how AI innovations can drive operational efficiency in the rapidly changing retail scene.
Farewell Ron Thorpe
Ron Thorpe worked for Hallmark Australia for forty years. For much of that time he was the face and personality of Hallmark Australia during years when the company understood the importance of this.
Ron understood newsagents, he understood small business, he understood local. He helped plenty. He also helped the Hallmark, back then, understand the value of our channel to the company.
Ron was a terrific networker, and an engaging storyteller. We was an epic travel planner, hosting plenty of retail study tours to the US through Hallmark. These are trips on which long lasting friendships were made and valuable business insights were gained.
His departure from Hallmark left a big hole that the company has struggled to fill. I am grateful for his time working with newsXpress, contributing in so many ways to the development of the group. He serves our member newsagents well and was a wonderful host of conferences.
While in recent years Ron has not been as involved with newsagents as he once was, his advice and support was not lost to those grateful to have been influenced by him.
Ron passed away last week.
This photo is from October 2009, when Ron was MC of the newsXpress national conference at the Hyatt in Melbourne. He was fun, and inspiring.
Our Aussie newsagency channel could use more Ron Thorpes: people in big business suppliers who understand and support local small business retailers and who bring two sides together.
Go well Ron.
Strong results for newsagents in first four months of 2025
I have completed an analysis of performance of retail newsagency businesses for January through April 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 as the next step in the newsagency performance study I’ve been doing for twenty years now.
The difference in performance of traditional and transformed newsagencies is as stark as ever. Transformed newsagencies are growing while traditional newsagencies are not. Newsagents choose their own path, they are responsible for the performance of their business.
Diversification is key to success in 2025 for newsagents, diversification far beyond what has been traditional for Australian newsagents. Let’s dive into the data/
Key data point indicators for Aussie newsagents:
| Metric | Traditional | Transformed |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | Down 4% | Up 3% |
| Transaction Count | Down 5% | Down 2% |
| Average Basket Value | Down 2% | Up 10% |
| Gift Revenue | Down 3% | Up 9% |
| Greeting Card Revenue | Down 4% | Up 4% |
| Stationery Revenue | Down 4% | Up 3% |
| Counter Impulse Sales | Down 12% | Up 8% |
| Online Revenue | $0 | Typically $75,000+ annually |
| Magazine Unit Sales | Down 13% | Down 8% |
| Newspaper Unit Sales | Down 13% | Down 9% |
.
Online is a strong result for many now. I know of several newsagents doing more than $400,000 a year in online sales. I know of many foind more than $50,000 a year in online sales – often without any additional labour, inventory or marketing spend. Those weakest at online are those that have put their existing business online without thought as to differentiation.
I want to pause here for a moment and go back to the $400,000 in online sales comment. It’s real, hard as that will be to believe for many in the channel. I have seen the data.Can anyone do this? For sure. You don’t need much capital. What you do need is a sense of adventure, a preparedness to go down a path unfamiliar.
Taking a closer look at stationery, traditional is performing okay while niche and specialty stationery is performing very well. Newsagents offering access to hard to get loved stationery are performing particularly well as are those leaning into trends evident on platforms like TikTok.
There is no doubt that embracing emerging trends is hard work. It takes research, often in places new to you. There is good money to be made in this. Speaking personally, I find TikTok to be a terrific source of commercially valuable trend insights that I don’t get elsewhere.
Data.
Data is key to the success of those enjoying it. Equally, data is key to the failure of those experiencing that. By data I mean the business records you capture and cultivate in your newsagency software. Some see their newsagency software as a burdensome tool they must have in their newsagency. Smart newsagents enjoying growth use their newsagency software as a tool for nurturing growth in sales and profitability.
Your newsagency software and the data it cultivates work best when leveraged as assets rather than chores.
Cards.
Looking at the card department, it remains for me the department in any newsagency that can deliver growth Achieving this requires you to manage it yourself, actively. Your attention can deliver easy and early gains for the business.
If I can help you assess your business performance and / or transform your newsagency, please reach out direct.
What is the future of the Australian newsagency?
I think the future of the Australian newsagency is bright as long as there are newsagents embracing transformation in their shops. The thing is though – the newsagency channel as such doesn’t exist as it used to, and this is a good thing. Today, we’re 2,500 (or thereabouts) shops that used to be all very similar but today and only loosely connected.
Mark Fletcher
M | 0418 321 338
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-fletcher-tower/
Queensland to act on illegal tobacco and vape traders and their landlords
This is good news to see our of Queensland:
Minister for Health and Ambulance Services
The Honourable Tim Nicholls
Illegal tobacco and vape traders and their landlords face jail under proposed laws
- Landlords who knowingly lease their premises to illicit tobacco and vape traders will face hefty fines and possible jail time under proposed laws.
- Proposals include increasing interim closure orders from 72-hours to three months, undercover health operations, and the seizure of legal smoking products if found at the same place as illicit products.
- The proposed changes are the toughest in the nation and are open for public consultation until 19 June 2025.
The Crisafulli Government is stepping up its war against illicit tobacco and vape retailers and is going after the landlords who knowingly lease a premises to them.
Under proposed new laws – which would be the toughest in the nation – landlords who are complicit or turn a blind eye to illegal activity will face one year imprisonment, a $161,300 fine, or both.
The Tobacco and Other Smoking Products and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 proposes a suite of reforms to tackle the scourge of illicit tobacco and vapes in Queensland.
The most significant reforms in the Bill will:
- extend ‘interim’ closure periods for non-compliant businesses from 72-hours to three months;
- give lessors the right to terminate a lease if their tenant has triggered a closure order through illegal activity;
- introduce a new offence for lessors who knowingly allow their premises to be used for the supply and commercial possession of illicit tobacco and vapes;
- allow undercover operations to support Queensland Health’s covert investigations; and
- include a new power to seize and destroy all legal smoking products that have been ‘compromised’ by being sold alongside illicit tobacco and vapes.
Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls said illegal traders and their landlords were being put on notice.
“Labor allowed illegal chop shops to pop up across our state but the Crisafulli Government has zero tolerance for traders of illicit tobacco and vapes,” Minister Nicholls said.
“Under these proposed laws, illegal traders will face the toughest laws in the nation.
“We’re also targeting landlords who are complicit in, or turn a blind eye on, illegal activity occurring in their premises.
“We will empower landlords with a statutory right to terminate a lease if their tenant has triggered a closure order through illegal activity.
“Any landlords who don’t use this termination right to kick out their dodgy tenants will be considered complicit and will face hefty fines and possible jail time.”
Minister Nicholls said these proposed laws follow ‘Operational Appaloosa’ – the nation’s largest-ever seizure of illicit tobacco and vapes in a single operation led by a health authority in Australia.
“Despite all our recent progress, the illegal trade remains deeply entrenched,” Minister Nicholls said.
“This is because the profits simply outweigh risk of enforcement and the current laws limit enforcement responsiveness by being too onerous or relying on prosecution through the courts.
“These new laws, released for public consultation today, will help fix this.”
In March 2025, Operation Appaloosa raided more than 30 locations and seized more than 76,000 vapes, 19 million illicit cigarettes and 3.6 tonnes of loose illicit tobacco with a combined estimated street value of $20.8 million.
On 3 April 2025, the nation’s toughest on-the-spot fines for the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes came into effect, leading to $5,094,560 in fines the first week alone compared to less than $250,000 in fines per week under Labor.
Consultation on the Tobacco and Other Smoking Products and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 is open until 20 June 2025.
ENDS
Now if only The Lottery Corporation was similarly engaged.
What data do you get when you buy a business? What data should you leave when you sell a business?
A retailer I know sold their business and scrubbed all historic data prior to settlement, leaving the incoming owner with no ability to make product purchases based on past sales, no ability to run the business to meet the expectations gained from reviewing the previous owner’s performance prior to agreeing to the purchase price.
They took legal action, questioning representations made to them prior to the purchase.
Since the data had been deleted at the source, the previous owner had now evidence to support their case.
Eventually, the dispute was resolved by the previous owner paying compensation to the purchaser. This followed a threat to report the matter to the ATO. Knowing a bit about the matter, I can understand why a settlement payment was quickly offered.
My advice is that you use only accurate data to represent the performance of the business in the lead up to the sale and that you leave the data there for the purchaser.
There is nothing to fear from truth.
This is all on my mind today because of a new matter that looks like it may make its way to the courts. Deleting data can make you look guilty. If you do think you have a good reason for deleting data prior to settlement, talk to the purchaser and get their approval in writing.
Beyond the legal ramifications, deleting historical business data erode trust, a cornerstone of any successful transaction. The incoming owner, deprived of essential historical insights, is left to navigate the business blind, potentially jeopardising its future and the value they invested. This scenario underscores the critical importance of transparency and ethical conduct in business sales; what might seem like a quick fix by deleting data can lead to costly legal battles and a damaged reputation, far outweighing any perceived benefit of withholding information.
This is about a fundamental ethical obligation to provide the buyer with the necessary tools and information to succeed, especially when the purchase price is based on historical performance.
And to be honest, I can’t think of any legitimate reason for deleting historical sales data.
This advice from me will be uncomfortable for some. It shouldn’t be though. As I have noted: There is nothing to fear from truth.
Come on A Current Affair, do better
What A Current Affair ran on Monday night was an attack on our channel, on newsagents and suppliers. here’s a short video I shot this morning in which I explain more:
Every newsagent and every supplier to newsagents should be onto this story and the various versions of it, including the drivel at The Daily Telegraph.
Poor reporting from A Current Affair on newsagency closure
The team at A Current Affair did a hatchet job on the Aussie newsagency channel with their story about the closure of the Elenora Heights Newsagency. This is an ignorant and emotive story that has potential to harm thousands of good newsagency businesses.
Just as ABC News did last year, The A Current Affair team have failed to adequately research the story about the state of the Aussie newsagency business. And they have the audacity to bring in some bloke to talk about TikTok shop. Just stupid!
Looking at the details in the A Current Affair footage, this business in Elenora Heights looks like it has not kept up with the times. Even allowing for the fact that they are running down stock, the shop looks like a newsagency from the 1990s, when that type of business started to fade.
Smart newsagents started transforming their businesses 20 years ago. Moving into gifts, homewares, toys and more – attracting new shoppers and selling products at margins four and five times more than newspapers.
Plenty of Australian newsagencies are thriving!
This story about a newsagency closing may not about anything other than poor business decisions. A dive into the business data and their decision-making would confirm this, or not. Journalists would do this research and let the truth of the evidence speak through the story rather thaan the oemtional drivel they peddled on A Current Affair.
As I have written here many times and in emails sent to all newsagents, I’ll help (for free) any newsagent keen to work on transitioning their business from relying on legacy product categories to attracting new shoppers through product categories not common to our channel and in pursuit of growing overall business grows profit and thereby offering insulation to the disruption of change.
I know of newsagencies right around Australia that are thriving, growing. These businesses are not selling last-minute gifts. Some are selling fashion items for $300 apiece and more. Others are selling $500 homewares items. Some are doing $80,000 a year in the best coffee in town. Some are achieving 33% of revenue online selling to people interstate and overseas. Some are selling over $100,000 a year in collectibles.
I know of regional newsagencies doing $250,000 a year in gifts and more, achieving far more in gross profit each year than newspapers and magazines ever delivered combined.
A typical newsagency today should be making less than 10% of their turnover from print media products, 30% of revenue from lottery commission and 60% from gifts, homewares, books, toys and more. That is, 60% of revenue from items delivering 50% and more gross profit.
The difference between this type of transformed newsagency business and the traditional newsagency is decisions made by the business owners.
You can’t blame the decline in print for newsagencies closing. Newsagents make a paltry margin from print products. It’s disrespectful, and embarrassing how little we make. A business closing because of this is a business rooted in the past.
Smart newsagents started transforming their businesses 20 years ago. Moving into gifts, homewares, toys and more – attracting new shoppers and selling products at margins four and five times more than newspapers.
This is the story A Current Affair should be covering, a story of a channel navigating extraordinary change with plenty of local retailers, local newsagents, evolving their businesses to be relevant, vibrate and valuable. I know of newsagents doing $500K a year on online sales. I know of newsagencies growing in-store sales 20% a year and more.
While news outlets and suppliers consider newsagents a channel, newsagents are not a channel and have not been for many years. You can’t go into a newsagency expecting they will have what you want if your expectation is rooted in decades ago.
I don’t think the shingle matters. What matters is what shoppers feel when they enter a retail businesses. If they step into a shop that nurtures a feeling of comfort and happiness and offers them a treasure hunt retail experience they will tell others, and they will come back. The shingle above the door is irrelevant.
This is still the best loyalty program ever for newsagents
Launched first in newsagency software from Tower Systems in 2013. Customers love it, especially now.
newsXpress retailers pitched in full page ad in The Australian Women’s Weekly today
Today in The Australian Women’s Weekly you can see the first of a series of ads and media coverage supporting newsXpress retailers and their release in exclusive partnership with The Royal Australian Mint a coin program honouring The Australian Women’s Weekly Birthday Cake Book. The QR code takes you to the newsXpress website where stockists are listed.
This is good news for the newsagency channel and, especially, newsXpress retailers. It will drive net new traffic in-store, increase sales and honour a beloved
While the coins release on June 12, the teaser campaign starts today. What is planned between now and June 12 is comprehensive, big. What is planned for June 12 and the weeks after is even bigger.
I’ve owned newsagencies since February 1996 and been actively engaged with the channel since 1981. I cannot think of any other campaign supporting newsagents that has the scale of this launch and the opportunity of the products themselves.
I am grateful to The Royal Australian Mint and Are Media for the opportunity and their support over the last two years bringing this to life.
Mother’s Day 2025 is over, what’s next? What are you working on today?
Mother’s Day 2025 is done and it’s four months to the next traditional season for newsagents and other retailers. Now, this four months can be filled with the every day, or you can fill it with actions designed to attract new shoppers. If you know me you know I’m pitching the latter: make your own success through actions designed to attract new shoppers. Start today, now.
Set your goals. Know what you want from the next four months in terms of revenue or other measurement points. Develop this with everyone who works in the business. Leverage their feedback.
Declutter. Get rid of all inventory items not selling. Items not selling are wasting your time, space and money. Decluttering is also good for your soul. And while you are decluttering, spend good time on cleaning up the counter. Everything there on your side and the customer side needs to have a vital role, needs to add value to the business. 90% of counters I see in newsagencies are awful.
Create events. Decide on a series of events to bring shoppers in. They should be fun and unexpected by your regular shoppers. Build them around a new product category or at least a category for which you are not well known.
Reset. Change the front third of your shop to look different, so much so that people notice it and comment on it.
Play outside the boundaries. Using a modest amount of capital and a small amount of shop floor space, bring in a product category you’ve never stocked before.
Get advice. Ask someone you trust to take a look at your business, for them to give you their warts and all view.
Change your social media approach. If you are like many small business retailers it’s likely your social media messaging is same same. Change it up. Take a 90 degree turn. Give people fresh content.
If you’re not online, get online. Like this is urgent. There are Australian newsagents doing hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales online.
What happens in and for your business over the next four months is entirely up to you. What you want by the time you reach Father’s Day is new customers shopping with you, insights learned, people loving shopping with you and more money in the bank. The success of the next four months is yours to make.
A reminder: we are not our customers
A week ago we were offered access to a limited-mintage coin being struck reflecting on Pope Francis: Pope Francis Welcome Home 2025 Canada 1oz Silver $5 Coloured Coin. The image depicts him meeting Saint Peter in heaven. I cringed when I saw it and dismissed buying stock for a second. Then, I thought I’m not that customer but others may be. Now, $5,000 in sales on, I am glad I was able to access this now rare product.
We did this as a pre-sale, meaning the entire shipment has been paid for weeks prior to the stock arriving from Europe.
The success here comes down to a few things that any newsagent can do:
- Being online. This means you can sell to anyone anywhere.
- Not shopping as if you are your customer. Let your customers show you what’s possible.
- Having a previous customer database to leverage.
- Backing your instincts.
- Risking little. Our initial order was for 5 to test. They sold in seconds and we immediately ordered more.
- Stepping outside. Outside your usual, outside the expectations of the shingle.
The financial commitment was modest, the risk small. The $5,000 revenue result speaks to the value.
I think it’s vital we play outside what has been traditional for our channel as it is through this that we find new shoppers, and new shoppers are key to a brighter future for our businesses.
I have one more point of this: speed to market. The folks creating this coin have done so at speed and this is key to success here. We are in a moment in the world and in retail especially where speed is vital. This is speed in project concept thoriugh to manufacture as well as speed at decision making,. With only 200 of these coins to be minted worldwide we needed to make a quick decision.
Oh, and a footnote. What I have discovered is that plenty of coin shoppers are traditional newsagency shoppers, and those who are not are loyal once they have found you.
The central billing difference between newsagency marketing groups
Some newsagency marketing / franchise groups operate central billing. The thing is, none of these central billing programs are the same. I can only speak for the newsXpress program as I am a direct or of that business.
Before I get into it though, while newsXpress is a private company, it has never distributed a profit to shareholders. Earnings are retailed and reinvested for members, like the $350,000 a year in seasonal in-store prized pack promotions and our soon to launch June national media campaign.
newsXpress created its central billing program in response to supplier requests. They were tired of late payment and failed payment.
newsXpress guarantees payments to suppliers, on time. Suppliers love this. They can bank on the results.
This unique approach by newsXpress to central billing is one reason the group offers so many suppliers who are not traditional suppliers to our channel.
Supplier businesses are businesses. Late payment costs money. Collection costs money. Being paid late damages the relationship.
Are we ready for magazines to be delivered on only one day of the week?
Single day delivery of magazines around Australia is closer than ever with a trial now underway in Melbourne. I think this is a good move, it makes sense for newsagents and for shoppers.
For newsagents, it saves time. We can roster more efficiently. For shoppers we have seen changes in how and when people shop magazines. The on sale day for weeklies and monthlies is not as important as a few years ago.
With special interest titles being of most value to those in our channel who do focus on magazines, the on sale day is of no relevance.
Back to the trial, Are Direct shared this information. I share it here as it explains well the background to the latest trial in Victoria and the objective:
Background:
- Complex legacy supply chain generally on 2 set days with delivery overnight.
- Magazine distribution continues to be challenged with overall product volumes decreasing 10% per year.
- Delivery transportation costs continue to rise above inflation – ongoing focus to create sustainable distribution platform, reduce costs and deliver simplification for all stakeholders with move to single weekly delivery
- With changing shopping habits and magazine content becoming less time sensitive, we are seeing consumers responding differently and with that national on-sale dates are less critical.
- WA stores operate with main magazine delivery received Tuesday, 1 day after Eastern Seaboard.
- NT stores operate with magazine deliveries received via SA up to 4 days after current national on-sale.
- Some FNQ stores deliveries receive deliveries 2 days after current national on-sale.
- Major weather events (Cyclone Alfred) that have delayed delivery into a state have seen no real sales variance to national as customers change buying behaviour.
Objective:
- Stay customer focused and ensure we communicate changes clearly to protect sales. We will send posters for newsagents so they can communicate the magazine delivery change to their regular customers.
- Create a sustainable long-term distribution network with weekly daytime deliveries.
- Deliver simplicity for newsagents in focusing category labour (stock on/off show) to one delivery day vs two.
- Have capability to access proof of delivery – helping to close out any problem deliveries that arise from time to time.
- Explore other major newsagent suppliers for distribution synergies ie cards, stationery etc.
- Plan and implement staged roll out of weekly deliveries through other areas/states through 2025.
As I noted at the outset of this post, I support this move, it makes sense. I think newsagents will benefit.
What does the federal election result mean for local small business retailers in Australia?
Stability. Aussies like stability. I think that was a factor in how Aussies voted this federal election. The nuclear discussion was disruptive nationally. The shrinking of the public service was factor in the ACT and the, early in the campaign, call to end working from home signalled disruption in plenty of local retail settings.
Take the work from home topic. While it got some media traction, it is not play as a big news issue. However, in local shopping strips it was an issue. People working from home like it, they prefer it. Local retailers serving this more valuable local economic activity like it too. There is no doubt in our channel that there are newsagents who benefit today from folks working from home is ways they did not experience pre-Covid.
One of the most immediate topics we will see play out is the matter of payments (EFTPOS) fees and surcharges. The Reserve Bank considerations are well advanced. As recently as a month ago Assistant RBA Governor Brad Jones speaking in Sydney said the task of looking at surcharges was complicated by blended rates. Debit card users were subsidising credit cards.
“We are looking very hard at how we get wholesale costs down,” Jones said. “If we can get wholesale costs down, the need for merchants to surcharge diminishes.
“We cannot pull one lever here and not expect it to have consequences throughout the ecosystem, so we are really trying to think holistically to make sure the outcome we arrive at strikes the right balance.”
Small business retailers, including newsagents, are well represented in discussions about and lobbying in relation to the issue of surcharging and payments fees. The Independents Payment Forum is working hard on this for us. I know because I am a Director of newsXpress and newsXpress is a member of the forum and a financial support. Also representing our channel as a member of the IPF is ALNA.
ALNA and newsXpress are supporting the work of the Independent Payments Forum because they are on the side of local small retail businesses on this vital to us topic.
What politicians deliver for us in local retail depends in part on how well we put our case. This is why having a professional, structured and well-resourced approach on matters like surcharges matters. We can each back this national activity by making contact with our local new members of parliament, regardless of whether you voted for them. send them a note – a card from your shop would be ideal, especially if it is Australian made – congratulate them. Then, a month letter, send them another note gently noting what matters to you and your community.
Now is the time to establish a link with your local politician. Each local contact works to personalising the decisions they get to make.\back to the question at the start of this post. I hope the election result means a strong a stable economy that gives Aussies confidence to shop locally.
I have asked this question, What does the federal election result mean for local small business retailers in Australia?, rather than asking what it means for newsagents as the local retail cohort is more relevant I think than looking at a considerably smaller newsagent cohort.
Our focus, in our own local shops, has to be to create and support an engaging retail experience people love so much that they tell their friends, and to embrace ways to bring that experience to others regardless of where they live.
Front page story on the transformation newsXpress Newstead
Congratulations to Ravi for the fresh and fun shopping experience he and the crew are bringing to newsXpress Newstead in Tasmania. A good news story about a newsagency business on the front page of the local daily newspaper is good news for our channel. This is from The Launceston Examiner yesterday.
This is a newsXpress business, the second for Ravi. And, as many here would know, I am a Director of newsXpress. newsXpress helps its members transform their businesses, to make them enjoyable and profitable.
Decoding retail surcharges: what your payment fee says about your business
A payments surcharge in retail businesses is an indicator of how well the business is run and how much it genuinely cares for its customers. In my opinion.
At a local market here in Melbourne yesterday morning across 10 different butchers and fishmongers there were 8 different surcharge percentages ranging from 1% to 1.75%.
Most had a sign saying they were passing on the cost to their business. The businesses are similar in size and would, I expect, have similar capacity for negotiating with their payments provider.
To me, the surcharge percentage is a way to compare businesses. I switched an $85.00 meat purchase from one charging 1.65% surcharge to the next one along who was charging 1%. The meat I purchased was the same price per kilo in each shop, the same noted quality: hormone free, grass fed etc.
While the actual saving was only a few cents, I felt my point was worth making through my purchase decision.
All of us who own retail businesses get make choices about our cost base. Our payments provider choice is a public-facing indication of our ability to negotiate for the benefit of our customers.
I see a high surcharge (above 1%) as disinterest by the retailer in their customers, laziness even. Some providers make this pitch today: go with us and it will cost you noting since the customer is surcharged the full cost. This is the model most likely to result in a surcharge of 1.65% or higher. It’s an easy decision, one you do not have to manage.
The alternative is to shop around. Right now there are payments platforms offering small business retailers blended rates as low as .7%. Given terminal costs, you could surcharge at .85% (maybe even 1%), cover your costs and present as a more engaged and customer-caring retailer.
For all the talk at the moment about cost of living, we retailers can help our customers save money by accessing the best payments rates possible and thereby keeping the surcharge ‘tax’ applied to our customers as low as possible.
Retailers with a lower surcharge nurture trust with their customers whereas retailers with high surcharges can foster resentment and lead customers to question the value of shopping the business. In an environment where consumers are increasingly conscious of every dollar, a low and transparent surcharge can be a valuable differentiator, signalling a business that prioritises fairness and customer satisfaction over maximising profit at every transaction.
So yes, I think a payments surcharge is a reasonable comparison point when comparing retail businesses. It suits me because my own shops have a low % surcharge. Customers appreciate it.