This month, American Express is promoting Shop Small, a month-long campaign promoting engagement with small business. News Corp. promoted the campaign with a story on October 31. While I like the goal of the campaign, it’s unfortunate that one of their partners is Officeworks, a BIG business that seeks to attract shoppers from small business newsagents and independent stationers.
The folks at American Express should have realised that Officeworks is not an idea partner for the Shop Small campaign – they are the only partner I’d nominate as not ideal for this campaign promoting small business. The participating associations, including COSBOA, should have noticed this and advised American Express to not take the Officeworks sponsorship.
Officeworks will argue that they serve small businesses, which they do. However, they do this at a cost to many more small businesses. If the campaign is to be true to its principles then Officeworks ought not be included as a sponsor.
My email to nana and anf this morning about this:
I cannot believe that you are supporting Amex for their “shop small”campaign.
One of the “partners” is Officeworks, and this GIANT is actively encouraging business customers to use them. See the website link from the shop small australian partners page http://www.officeworks.com.au/retail/landing/shopsmall/?extlink=AU:Mer:ShopSmall-partners-OW
What about the newsagency stationery stores. Officesmart, and others from OUR industry????
We don’t have a hope in competing with the lies that this retail giant continues to send out to the community about lowest prices!!
We also believe that our first price is our best price – not the officeworks motto of “we’ll charge what we want, but will beat a competitors price if you show us”
All this right below another article of “ANF Advocates for review of supermarket dominance”
How about you add Officeworks to the above review of dominance?
Not good enough!!!
And their response back to me as follows:
We are mentioning the Small Shop/shop locally concept – as it is very important for newsagents.
Yes, the campaign is supported by the big names – but what does Officeworks say when you click that link…
Because it’s no secret that thriving local shops create thriving local communities.
Consumers know Officeworks is not the local shop, they know what their local shop means. This campaign highlighted ShopSmall and that’s a positive and if it gets mentioned in the press, people will think about shopping locally – so we decided there were more positives than negatives.
I approached Amex to say small shops don’t have Amex because of their fees and could we broker a better deal for newsagents – so far it hasn’t gone anywhere – but we will continue to lobby.
The ANF will continue to campaign against the retail dominance of the big boys but we will also use every tool we can to get public awareness to shop locally.
Newsagents could take that slogan and use it for their own advantage and get more traction off the back of the campaign paid for by our competitors.
Regards, Carolyn
I beleive that Officeworks are not in this for the support of small business. They are in it for themselves.
This is proven by following the link to their promotion of the campaign where they say:
Sign up to a 30 Day Business Account during the month of November and save a further 10% off your office supplies for purchases made between
1 November – 31 December 2013*
If that’s not self promotion then I don’t know what is???
I can’t believe the our associations are supporting American Express. Their transaction fees are excessive and a burden on small business.
Many newsagents and other small businesses don’t even accept Amex cards. We haven’t for nearly 6 years.
Yet another example of industry associations proving whose side they are on when it comes down to a dollar.
To be fair to they they probably didn’t know about the Officeworks sponsorship. regardless, they should have made it their business to know.
“Sponsorship” is the word Mark.
Should this type of promotion have sponsorship ?
‘Sponsorship’/’conflict of interest’ are often one in the same, and seen to be so by outside observers.
I want to stress – I like the campaign, that it’s focused on small business. But I’d like Amex to charge us less for taking their card and I’d want Officeworks nowhere near this campaign as they are no friend of small business.
and a response from amex – becuase I sent them a very similar email as well through their website directly:
Thank you for your email.
American Express has partnered with a number of companies who want to show their support for small businesses during November and Officeworks is one of those companies. We appreciate your position and value your feedback. We will take your comments into consideration when Shop Small returns in 2014.
Regards
The Shop Small Team