How does an Australian newsagency business stay competitive in an increasingly digital world? Diversify. Yes, it is as simple as that.
Play away from being a newsagent or a newsagency business. Don’t let what your shop is called define what you sell.
Sell what your customers want, love and will buy. Oh, and when you consider your customers, think beyond locals, think about anyone you can reach, anywhere, in the next town, in your country, overseas.
The world is your oyster is the cliché, and it is true today in retail, in newsagency retail. there are newsagents successfully selling overseas and plenty selling interstate within Australia. there are some selling products you’d never think of as supplied through a newsagency and others selling traditional newsagency products online to shoppers far away.
Today, in June 2025, the successful newsagents are those that diversified years ago and are now well established playing at not being a traditional newsagency business even though their shingle may mention news.
What, how and when we sell in our newsagency businesses has no boundaries. The boundaries shoppers have as to what a local newsagency sells is their boundary to navigate, not ours.
People still buy newspapers and magazines, in smaller numbers though. Whereas decades ago newspapers and magazines brought people to newsagency businesses, they were destination products, today more people purchase these print media products as the add on.
The question, How does an Australian newsagency business stay competitive in an increasingly digital world?, is interesting as it presumes that today digital has taken over. It hasn’t. There is a trend to paper and pen use in some demographics and smart newsagents leaning into these trends are doing well, growing stationery sales. Greeting card sales are good too in newsagencies that have good cards, locally made cards, cards that speak to occasions relevant in 2025.
Now, if you are a newsagent and wondering about categories outside what has been traditional for newsagents that you could explore, here’s a short list from me, based on my experience with hundreds of newsagents:
- Coffee.
- Handbags.
- Clothing.
- Jewellery.
- Haberdashery.
- Footwear.
- Bikes.
- Petfood.
- Homewares.
This is not a complete list. Each of the product categories I have listed are being sold in newsagencies I know of. My point here is to demonstrate how far away from the expectations of others for what a newsagency can sell the reality for some is.
How does an Australian newsagency business stay competitive in an increasingly digital world? It diversifies and does this following the core focus of any successful business: find a need and fill it.
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My name is Mark Fletcher. I own newsXpress – a marketing group helping local newsagents thrive. I also founded Tower Systems, makers of the industry standard software for newsagents. I sold Tower in November 2024, and still work with the company today. You can reach me on 0418 321 338 or mark@newsxpress.com.au.