Given the clear split of distribution from retail being driven by a range of changes including News Limited’s T2020 project, we are approaching a time where distribution and retail newsagents could be better served by different associations.
With more retail newsagents being the customers of distribution newsagents it would be inappropriate for an association to serve both parties. Further, the needs distribution and retail newsagents have of their association are different.
These are issues the associations themselves ought to have been considering.
My own experience is that need of retail newsagents are better served through a more retail focused association.
Do we need more division within the industry? I thought you supported the idea of a national body representing all?
Newsagents in each state have different needs, but having several different associations has not helped.
Steven I do support a national body but I wonder if one body can fairly represent two completely different businesses.
Another unnecessary overhead to further split and then burden part of the Industry. Perhaps a ginger group mount a members takeover of ANF, or else forget it and do what is Good for your business.
Mark, having recently moved from distribution/retail to retail only… (should have done it years ago) the thought of revelvant ‘retail’ representation through the association has also crossed my mind. My concern is that any split of our association at this critical time would be damaging. I would like to see our association provide more support for those who either choose to move away from distribution or those that are forced away from distribition through the T2020 process.
We are a subagent and were a VANA member for a short while until we realised that there was a conflict with us being supplied by the authorised agent who quite rightly was also a VANA member. This created a conflict as to who VANA would represent in instances of disputes and is exactly the scenario Mark is referring to. Two bodies makes sense in this instance where in the future retail outlets may need assistance dealing with distributors. It would also be better to have a retail focused who were experts with retail and a distributor focused association that specialised in that business which will in future be a separate part of the industry. As John says, maybe right now is not quite the right time but it won’t be far off and the discussion needs to begin now.
The range of businesses in Australia that call themselves “newsagents” has become so diverse that it is not feasible to have effective representation with one umbrella organisation. Thats not a criticism of the associations , just a reality. We left our association because there simply wasn’t anything happening that was related to our situation or in our interests.
If T2020 really does what it should then distribution agents won’t need representation by an association. They will each be big enough to conduct a professional B2B relationship with the publishers on their own feet.
A retail focussed association might have some merit but in my view they will probably be more effective if there several that bring newsagents of a like mind together, than than a one size fits all approach.
I don’t want to be part of an association representing my supplier.
Any idea how the Pharmacy Guild works? They seem to have undeniable strength.
Steven I agree with you – all this will do is create more division in the industry. And what would newsagents who are both retail and distribution do – join both? There must be a lot of negativity in some states between the two, in NSW retail only get direct supply from news ltd so it is not up to the distribution newsagents to determine their supply.
For the record, I’m a member of the People’s Front of Judea.
More of the issues retail newsagents will face in the future will be less channel specific and more retail specific: EFTPOS fees, tenancy, employee issues.
The challenge today is that with the break of distribution and retail, the associations have their work cut out for them on the distribution front for the next couple of years.
I really really hope that the associations don’t poke their noses into distribution. We’re doing quite well without them thank you.
They seem to prefer suburban retail. Let them stick to that. It keeps them far enough away from us
SPLITTERS……….
Comments regarding more division seem a common theme but maybe two distinct bodies will result in less division as these bodies would be more focused on what is going to be two distinctly separate segments of the industry.
True Mark retail issues will be leasing eftpos etc so why not join a general retail association?
But there will still be magazine supply issues which seems to cause the most problems for retail newsagents.
I can’t see how one association can’t look after both if they have representatives from both retail and distribution.
It would be better as an industry to work together if we want the newsagency to still be recognized as a specialist retailer.
It is interesting you posing this question Mark. I would have said that we do not need to split the newsagent associations until recently. But having sat though a recent NANA meeting where they talk about t2020, magazines and other newsagent issues it was clear to me that they are in conflict with themselves.
These people were clueless. It was clear to me they would be pulled by the loudest voices. Today it’s the delivery agents, tomorrow it will be the retailers who are customers of the delivery agents.
I came away thinking my shop would be better served if I joined a retail association.
Keith the challenge for NANA right now is that they represent the two types of businesses and this is why they have to have a bet each way.