I am in the middle of collating newsagency sales benchmark data for July 2012 to June 3013 and comparing this with a year before. Instant lottery ticket sales are down, on average, between 15% an 20%. However, this decline is not as prevalent in Victoria. While I am still digging into the data, the oly difference that springs to mind is that Victorian outlets have Intralot instant games whereas other states have Tatts.
I’ve spoken to a couple of Intralot people who tell me that the network experience generally is sales are up year on year. I’m not sure of the reason, whether it’s games or the competition with tatts. The sales news is good for retailers.
Newsagents I have spoken to in Queensland are concerned at the significant change in approach they are experiencing from their area managers under Tatts management compared to what it was like under the old Golden Casket management. My own experience with Tatts was that there were more interested in ticking KPI boxes tan they were in sales you achieved.
If the decline in sales continues for tatts instant products and Intralot sales do increase then I am sure newsagents will want answers.
My daughter worked in a Vic Newsagency for a few years and has worked in our in Qld. They hardly sold any Intralot scratchies compared to what we sell. Why are you always talking someones business down.
Carol, I don’t think Mark is talking down anyones business facts are facts and instant ticket sales are down, you can check on the tatts retailers site in your reports and it will most likely say your area is reporting a decline. Mark has said in the past he is not one to sugar coat if an area is underperforming he ll tell you but he has also said that intralot is displaying growth which is great for Vic agents.
Carol I’ve not set out to talk anyone’s business down. The data is the data. Instant sales in NSW and QLD in particular are down. Vic is up as in WA in several stores I have data for.
It’s only when we face the truth that we can deal with it.
Maybe it’s because of a couple of genuine reasons.
1) there was quite a long period when we couldn’t get stock, because tatts had no $3 scratchies to send out to retailers – no stock = no sales
2) The change in the invoicing system when Tatts took over NSW sites.
Where we used to pay for scratchies as we sold them, we now have to pay for whole books if book has been opened or within 6 weeks if a book hasn’t even been opened – Why would I carry stock that I have potentially have to pay for BEFORE i sell it?
3) Peoples discretionary spending is way down at the moment. This always happens near elections (and this 6 months has been the longest election campaign ever)