It struck me while walking around the GNS Market Fair in Melbourne how well our channel is catered for with suppliers providing stunning visual impact in their ranges. I saw national brands with excellent displays which would look fantastic in any newsagency. Something happens between the trade show and the shop floor. Only rarely do newsagents create a similarly stunning display around a brand or a grouping of brands. While space, demographics and capital can be a challenge, too often we don’t even get part of the way there.
Buying and merchandising for visual impact could lift many newsagencies. rebuilding stationery around brands which are advertised nationally could lift a business from looking second class to looking like it is a worthy competitor.
The Markt Fair shows we have suppliers ready to help with branded product. The key is in our buying.
I told the guys from GNS that our suppliers at the fair are starting to think like retailers. Some of the displays were the best i have seen since attending the Fair in 5 years.
If there was anything that newsagents could take away from the Fair on the weekend it would have to be the importance of visual impact.
Vaughan the Sovereign product looked awful compared to the national branded product.
Agree. I was talking more about the branded product displays throughout the Fair. Some were very impressive.
One stand I saw that had a great visual impact was a new card company I have not seen before. I cant remember the name but it was as you walked past the Tower stand.