I am surprised at the difference in London newspapers today compared to yesterday. Today they are normal compared to yesterday’s bloated and gimmick based products. The only exception is The Times – every copy comes with a book. At Starbucks it was a children’s book. At WH Smith it was a book about houses and working out their history.
It seems that the independent newsagents have all but given up. James News, shown in the photo, is the best I have seen out of 30 or 40 in the last two days in terms of branding. Most allow newspaper publishers to control the branding putting mastheads ahead of the store’s brand and or value proposition. At least James News shows their name. I am surprised that all these independents have not at least got together to trade under a common brand of some sort. Without the profile of a common brand they will continue to face.
On the outside independent newsagents look nondescript. Inside they many feel like a mausoleum. Shelves are barely stocked, ranges are poor. If they sell cards they are cheap. Most have 50 or 100 magazine titles. Snack foods and drinks dominate. I appreciate it’s different out of the City, but it’s still not a patch on what we have back in Australia.
We’re lucky to have newsagencies in Australia. They are unique. Consumers have access to a range or magazines and event stationery it’s hard to find elsewhere. Publishers and other suppliers have access to a traffic-rich and low cost to access retail network with reasonable compliance. We’re clearly doing something right in Australia to have the network we have. Let’s not kill it.