In creating our temporary and much smaller newsagency we worried about what to do with newspapers. We ended up giving them prime position on the main line from the front door to the counter at the rear of the store. This presents a professional and easy to shop newspaper display. It also gives us plenty of opportunities to promote other products to newspaper-only shoppers – the photo does not show what shoppers pass walking to and from newspapers.
I committed the best space to papers because today they generate excellent traffic and so today they are tremendously valuable.
Too often, newsagents talk down newspapers and magazines and manage them so that sales will decline. While I bang on here a lot about the magazine and newspaper supply models, I continue to robustly support them in my stores because I understand their importance to our channel in the short to medium term.
If sales go well at the rear of your store will you continue the practice once you move back to your full shop?
I ask this because we stock our papers at the very front of store just within the front door and have seen growth since we moved them there from passing trade, but at 12% it isn’t the most profitable thing to have sitting there.
Let me know how sales are going with them at the back please once you relocate back to your full shop.
We can’t move ours to the back as our shop is 50m long but moving them to the middle could be viable given a good display.
If I was much younger I would consider turning my shop around with the newsagency at the rear of my shop and toys, stationery and gifts at the front. I getting too tired and nearly time to retire. Anyone offering a good price for a country lifestyle.