I expect it to be an unusual Melbourne Cup day for many newsagents today, right across Australia, thanks to the record OzLotto jackpot.
I’ve spoken to several newsagent suppliers and their experience matches mine – newsagents have been head down tail up since late last week. Tomorrow will see more of this. The result, particularly for Victorian newsagents, will be considerably more traffic than is usual for a Melbourne Cup day – an excellent opportunity.
I don’t have lottery products in my newsagencies so we’re expecting the usually quiet Melbourne Cup day – a day to get some reconfiguring done on the shop floor.
It is very strange indeed Mark. No SMH or Fin Rev on the NSW south coast. No message on connect only a message on the Canberra Times delivery sheet from the carrier that there where press problems? Lucky I increased our Tele and Aust numbers yesterday, this is one of our busiest days for papers and Fairfax have done their best to stuff it up as usual.
Gregg, 3rd time in 8 days for us. No SMH or AFR. Our readers have already thrown their hands up and quite a few have stopped even trying to buy the paper. Thanks Fairfax. Whats more we are constantly refused credit for shortages and have to fight tooth and nail for months just to get a credit for the missing papers!
Fairfax 3 hours late so no SMH in Southern Highlands either. We have had a fantastic week with this lotto jackpot and this now today will be horrendous with phone ringing non stop!
Jenny this is a regular occurance on the south coast but it is usually delivery of the papers so late they miss our delivery run. I have simply dusted off our sign that there is no SMH, FIN REV along with the Fairfax subscription phone number, if subscribers wish to complain refer them to Fairfax subscriptions.
On the up side we will sell out of Australians.
You don’t sell lottery ? how long have you had no lottery products for .
Sorry to hear that Gregg. We are on the early truck out of Sydney and apart from last Monday we don’t have many problems any more. Speak to Wayne Cousins about this (he is on holidays but email him anyway).
I have rung cust service and given them all our account nos as last Monday they were not aware that we didn’t receive SMH and our subcribers were being told the papers were late or missed.
No up side for us, we are 30 short Australians.
We are expecting to be busy up until 11. Then hopefully they will return after the Cup…fingers crossed.
Similar story for us on North Coast with Fairfax papers…..the end is near!
Interestingly, I spoke to a delivery contractor of the local paper (printed by Fairfax). They are no longer permitted to deliver this paper by throwing from a car. They are to be hand delivered to letter boxes. The reason claimed is that it is illegal to throw something from a vehicle in NSW. I don’t know how this will effect Newsagents still with Home Delivery?
Thanks Jenny already been down this path with Fairfax, even got ANF involved the result was a big nothing. Fairfax just do not care.
You don’t have any lottery products in your store at all, Mark? *mind boggled*
Melbourne Cup day is usually quiet here (Bris), but today will definately be a strange (ridiculously busy) day. Bring it on!!
No Fin. Review in FNQ.
got mine FNQ
I got 10 Herald Suns after cutting my order back to 2.
Mark, you must have a really strong business, to be able to survive shopping centre rents without Lotto income is outstanding. I personally dont think my store would survive the rent without lotto.
There have been some significant delays and non-delivery of Tuesday November 6 edition of the SMH supplies due to electrical faults and production issues at the press site overnight. Fairfax apologises for the inconvenience this has caused and can assure all affected newsagents who did not receive supplies today that they will not be charged for the missed supply.
How nice we are not being charged by Fairfax. Bad luck they have not informed their subscribers of this.
This is where at the very least the full retail price should be reimbursed to newsagents. Its one thing to get a credit for the cost price of non delivery (eventually) but the missed income not to mention the damage to the brand and us by association is significant.
Allan, I agree whole heartedly with your comments @13. It does show how strong we could potentially be as retailers even without some of the “core” newsagency lines.
As for today I’m in suburban Brisbane in a group of strip shops with two TABs within 100 meters and I’ve had a line out the door since I opened at 6:00am. What has been interesting is seeing the demographic of the buyers change as the times become later. Started with the younger and blue collar workers, evolved into the white collar workers on their way to work/the train and now I have a line up of predominantly the local oldies ! 🙂
I sold Forest Hill more than a year ago and it was a Tatts outlet. My two current newsagencies (in shopping centres) don’t have Tatts and a new one I am opening in a centre will not have it.
There is a purity to a business without lotteries. I don’t mean that to sound weird or arrogant. It focuses the mind not having traffic generated by lottery products.
That said, I negotiated to purchase one with Tatts but the requirement for me to attend training has stopped that going ahead. I’m happy for the staff and my overall retail business manager to attend but I don’t have time. This is a business I want to purchase. My people can improve it for all suppliers. It’s a good fit. But the Tatts rules are blocking the purchase.
Paul I hope every one of these lottery shoppers is walking out with a small flyer with coupons enticing them back to purchase other products from you.
There are plenty of newsagents and sub-agents in Victoria that don’t have tatts and we always have surprised interstate visitors pop in wanting lotto products but they are sold at a dedicated outlet in the center. This is one of the opportunities that a STRONG newsagency body could ensure ALL newsagencies were offered due to the strength of the shingle, at least to the extent that 7/11’s now have lotto products.
Sorry about the faulty link, will fix google chrome to stop this occurring.
I’m embarrased to say I hadn’t even thought of that Mark !
I’ve set up the runway to try and capture some extra immediate sales (which seems to have worked..6 2013 Brisbane UBDs down so far this morning !) but hadn’t even considered that. I was looking to much at the immediate and not the future add on !
Rectifying that as I type trying to do something up !!
Thanks Mark !
I also need to check my spelling more thoroughly before submitting !
We are right next to the TAB so its crazy in here this morning. I expect a lull around cup time but then it will take off again. We get our paper delivery around 12.30 so I bought in extra of yesterdays for races and sweeps. We just have to learn to live with it now CP printed in Townsville.
Cheers Paul.
Through the year we have some terrific traffic surges in newsagencies. besides the immediate purchase and the impulse purchases we can guide through floor and counter displays, we need to ask what are we doing to bring them back in? For our future.
Mark, following on from your comments made at point #17.
I find it ludicrous that you would have to undergo training to purchase a Tatts outlet. I understand new entries into the channel this should be mandatory, but I would think common sense would prevail and such unnecessary costs forced upon you waived.
I think prior experience operating Tatts or NSW Lotteries should enable such rules to be waived or at least be a bit more practical according to the experience of the applicant.
Amanda I think you’ll find this is a rule Tatts is enforcing nationally. This and a fee based on lottery product sales in the outlet.
As I understand it is not just a rule , it is a law. The legal operator of the company applying for the Tatts franchise must have met certain training standards as part of Tatts compliance with the Gaming act. This can be sidestepped only if you assign your legal responsibilities to another party, who in turn needs to be approved by Tatts. Some outlet owners do this by taking in junior partners.
Azeem, it must be a director of the company. No exceptions.
Sales from today would have made up for the 2 weeks training .I see newsagents that do not sell lotto making it one step closer for them to get into other outlets eg woolies, just the same as when newsagents abuse returns etc
No comparison Shaun whatsoever. Also, you make a wrong assumption.
In one of my stores there are two Tatts outlets in the centre and they will not consider a third. In the other store we applied, were approved and Tatts then said they had a prior agreement for a kiosk to open nearby.
Mark,
Are you not able to appoint a person as an “alternate director” under the Australian Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)? Obviously only for a specified period and with limited powers assigned.
I must have read something wrong or took something the wrong way . I thought you said that you you didn’t have time to do the course .
Jarryd – no.
Shaun for the store I want to buy that has tatts. Don’t have time. Also I am not the right person to do the course.
Mark, I dont know if you can, should or even would answer this question but…..the two outlets in your centre that sell Lotto, are they Newsagencies and if so surely you would have to be on a different PSM rate.
Allan, in once centre one newsagency and one kiosk and in the other centre two kiosks.
On the note of multiple newsagencies/kiosks in shopping centres, we are a kiosk and there’s a newsagency (Lucky Charm franchise) and another kiosk. Pity we can’t get along with the other kiosk. On the other side, his mistreatment of customers has brought more for us (he once told a lady who was checking her tickets to “hurry up b**ch). Needless to say, she spends quite a lot with us now.
What sort of % do Tattslotto agents get?
We get 7% here in SA which doesn’t even
pay our rents so how can Tatts ask for
a fee based on sales revenue?
It just beggars belief