Following on from the discussion yesterday about the article by Stuart Binnie saying the sky is falling for newsagents, I figured this was a timely question to ponder.
Why are some newsagents more successful than others?
The answer is easy. Because they choose to be successful. They plan for success, manage for success and pursue success in every business decision.
I see this every day in my contact with newsagents.
The most successful newsagency businesses I see are those with a point of difference in their community, an offer – product, service of both – that sets their business apart. They are not necessarily big. No, some of the most successful newsagencies I see are the smaller in an area.
Having a successful point of difference starts with understanding your customers and would-be customers.
These are the actions of retailers. This is what we need to be – retailers.
An average newsagency business from yesteryear selling products others select for the business has a tough future ahead. A growing newsagency business will have more products sought out by owners and management, presented professionally and marketed outside the four walls of the business.
Successful newsagents are choosing to be successful and pursuing this relentlessly in their decisions and actions.
This is what we must do. We must be retailers and not agents.
T2020, the News Limited changes, is a wake-up call to all newsagents – even though there have been many wake-up calls in past years.
Nice post.