Based on up to date sales data from the week to Sunday, here is a list of the product categories that are working the best in newsagency businesses:
- Newspapers. People are flocking back to the print medium. Home deliveries are up, especially in regional and rural locations. News and Nine are helping newsagents ensure they have stock.
- Magazines. Weeklies, real life and crosswords especially. Now is the time for a front of store pitch. Selling 2 or 3 in a basket is ease.
- Cards. Not right across the board but in many. Interestingly, unit volume per basket is up as people shop ahead. In more than half of all stores I looked at sales were up last week on the 2019 average.
- Jigsaws. A real hero all through March. Front of store is key to this, social media too.
- Everyday plush. The perfect purchase to bring a smile to a kid’s face. Front of store and at the counter.
- Games. I have seen stores go from $200 a week to $800 a week.
- Everyday stationery. What’s working well is packs put together to make shopping easy and to offer ideas for use.
I urge newsagents to recast their business to focus on the changed needs. Making changes around these categories listed and other local growth categories you see demonstrates engagement, a service shoppers will respond to.