A blog on issues affecting Australia's newsagents, media and small business generally. More ...

Author: Mark Fletcher

Make sure that computer you buy for your newsagency is what you think it is

A newsagent recently purchased a computer based on the brand and the claimed technical specifications. While the badge on the computer was of a known brand, the computer itself was refurbished. It was made up of parts not in the original machine. It was not of the specification claimed. It was not new.

No wonder the newsagent was angry when the manufacturer represented by the brand on the computer box did not honour the warranty. They did not have the claim by the supplier in writing and was therefore limited in action they could take.

A simple rule applies to computer hardware: something that sounds like the best year ever probably is too good to be true.

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Ethics

4 Colours pens at the counter work

IMG_0438Moving this stand of 4 Colours pens from the stationery aisle to the counter kicked up sales. People purchased the pens on impulse. This simple move paid off and reminded me of the value of thoughtful tactical placement of items at the counter. As with any most like this, measuring the result is crucial.

I urge any newsagent reading this to right away introduce something new to the counter, to chase impulse purchases.

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Stationery

The newspaper stand is a thing of the past

For decades newsagents were required by newspaper publishers to dedicate close to two square metres of space in prime location at the front of the shop to the display of newspapers. There were rules about the design of the stand and what we could place on the stand.

Many newsagencies today still have the fixtures in place as they were expensive and purpose built – removing them is expensive.

So long after newspapers lost their value in retail newsagencies, costs associated with a bygone era are a challenge for some newsagents.

The experience is a reminder to newsagents of the risks of agreeing to give over part of the store to a supplier for long after the supplier’s focus on the newsagency channel has faded, the costs of their required engagement continue to be carried by the business.

Today, newspapers work from almost anywhere in the newsagency. While publishers pressure for a front of store high-traffic location, their actions with other retailers and online lead to most newsagents not listening to their pleas.

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Newspapers

Consistency needed on newspaper promo coupons

IMG_0445We take collecting coupons for newspaper promotions seriously in the newsagency, even when we are not required to pass the coupon back to the distributing agent for the publisher.

The coupon is part of the transaction, as it says on the coupon itself.

What do you think.

It frustrates me when people come in asking for the offer, in this case the Footy Powers 3 game card pack, and expecting us to sell them the pack without the coupon.

One customer last week yelled at us saying every other newsagent gives them to us  without the coupon. When they said this I realised the inconsistency in the channel was a bad look for us.

What is the point of the coupon if every newsagent does not always collect?

I’d prefer News Corp. to resolve this for us, to stop requiring the coupons and stop printing this as a requirement – especially when we don’t have to hand the coupon back. Otherwise, the inconsistency continues and we all look like disorganised fools.

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Newsagency management

Promoting the Pacific Magazines $150,000 magazine campaign

Here is how my other newsagency is promoting the newsagent exclusive magazine campaign being run for us by Pacific Magazines. This placement is seen by everyone entering our main magazine aisle.

IMG_4507

This is a vitally important campaign for us not only because it helps us differentiate but because history shows campaigns like this work at driving magazine sales.

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magazines

The end of mass media?

Medium has published Death to the Mass, an essay by respected media observer, commentator and journalism school professor Jeff Jarvis. The essay touches on points some newsagents will find interesting as it explores the future of business that for more than 100 years was the reason our newsagency channel existed.

We all know the fate of Gutenberg’s invention. I have nothing against print, just as I have nothing against horses as a means of transportation or telephones as a means of talking, but we cannot hold onto an unsustainable technological artifact out of romanticism. I have been among those who argue that news must become digital first. To the companies I work with I offer a simple definition of that buzzphrase: A legacy news company must become a fully sustainable (read: profitable) digital enterprise before the date at which print becomes unsustainable. And that date is…? Sooner than we wish to think.

Jarvis eloquently explores the future of journalism, separating the profession from the dying distribution business.

When we read the article, we newsagents can think beyond journalism and newspapers and think about our model, across a range of challenged product categories, and explore our future.

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newsagency of the future

The unnecessarily large Blueshyft stock file

XchangeIT has sent newsagents a large stock file for the Blueshyft services product. The approach being taken here is 100% in the control of Blueshyft and XchangeIT. It is an approach that I and experts at my newsagency software company have disagreed with from the outset.

I make this point today because a newsagent has told me they were told Tower helped create the process leading to the large file with 1,000s of entries. Tower did not help create the process. As recently as a week ago was advocating to Blueshyft they find an alternative that represented best practice in terms of retail data management.

While the world will not end and newsagency computer systems will not grind to a halt, these systems will be loaded with junk data as a result, and there are consequences for junk data.

Anyone focussed on serving the needs of newsagents would not agree to this.

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Newsagency challenges

CWA’s Ruth magazine

FullSizeRenderIt was good to see the CWA’s Ruth magazine getting star treatment at the newsagency at airs airport yesterday afternoon. The fixture with the title sits in front of the magazine fixture and really does make the feature magazine it holds the hero for that stand.

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magazines

Promoting the local newspaper

IMG_0503I’m in Cairns today and share here the pitch from the Cairns Post. Overtime I am here I check out their building in the centre of the city as they continue to promote the local paper, while other newspaper offices too often promote only digital. I love the focus on local news here – locals tell me this helps drive sales to tourists.

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Newspapers

Handling the News Corp election offer

Screen Shot 2016-06-07 at 6.39.06 PMNewsagents need to manage the News Corp bundle offer so that sales data flows to News and the company is able to measure engagement. There has been some confusion with communication from XchangeIT and News Corp.

To serve the need of newsagents in any state or territory, my newsagency software company Tower Systems published advice Sunday and Monday.

Newsagents ought to check with their software company in order to run this promotion the correct way. If they do not do this it could impact measurement as well as proper compensation.

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Newspaper distribution

Promoting the Pacific Magazines $150,000 giveaway

13383396_1016014221839286_1184919593_oHere is one of the ways we are promoting the Pacific Magazines $150,000 giveaway in-store. This tactical placement in the front part of the store is vital as is promotion at the counter and in with magazines in their usual promotion.

Pacific runs promotions such as this as they work in achieving sales growth. This is why I encourage newsagents to engage.

This is a newsagency channel exclusive promotion. It is an excellent opportunity if you compete with supermarkets.

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magazines

Lottoland ad campaign in full swing

Lottoland has ads running on fee to air TV as well as commercial radio. The ads have the same breezy feel of riches opportunity you get from Tatts ads. Here is the TVC:

No wonder Tatts has launched The Lott to enable it to run a national marketing campaign. I think the challenge for Tatts will come from brand recognition. Lottoland is more immediately undetrstood than The Lott. My experience is the moment you have to explain a brand is the moment you lose a chunk of thee people you are seeking to attract.

Online/mobile is the next frontier for lottery sales without a doubt in my view.

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Competition

Mastercard tells customers to use for a newspaper purchase

MastercardCheck out the outdoor ad from Mastercard sent to me by a colleague. Without reference to newsagents Mastercard is telling people in the streets it is okay to use Mastercard to purchase a newspaper.

With some newsagents making only 12.5% from the sale of newspapers and some Mastercard transactions costing 3% of purchase price, it is no wonder plenty of newsagents will not accept Mastercard for a newspaper purchase.

The folks at Mastercard ought to consult with small business newsagents before they run a promotion such as this.

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Newsagency challenges

News Corp. to close seven local papers in Victoria

News Corp. is closing the Melbourne Leader, the Berwick Leader, the Brimbank Leader, the Free Press Leader, the Hobsons Bay Leader, the Melton Leader and the Wyndham Leader from July 1 as reported by Mumbrella. While not a direct impact for most newsagents, the news is another example of the challenges for print newspapers and a reminder of the need for newsagency businesses to attract people with new products.

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Media disruption

More on the Newsagency of the Future workshops

I have been asked about the content planned for the Newsagency of the Future workshops set to start on June 14.

I will share trend data on all key product categories and explain why you can believe these trends. I will also explore trends outside the traditional – what are working and what are not.

Because change is imperative, I will outline an approach to change that I see working for newsagents, discussing capital, space and mindset … explaining how they combine to drive success and failure.

Most important of all, I will take time on real world individual situations any newsagent in any situation will relate to. Here are the dates organised so far. Click on any city to go to the online booking page for that event.

There is no cost to attend.

With the help of the video production team at Tower I will film a version of the session in the studio and make this available to all newsagents. I’ll do this after Hobart so I can address common questions asked through the sessions.

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Newsagency challenges

Where do you place Smith Journal in the newsagency?

I received this note from the circulation manager of Smith Journal with a plea for help from newsagents:

frankie press wants to see Smith Journal, our magazine for those with a curious mind, re-positioned in newsagents. So we are starting a re-positioning campaign on Monday with issue no. 19.

Historically, as the “brother” title of frankie, Smith Journal was positioned with frankie in the Women’s Interest category.

More recently, we are seeing Smith Journal positioned in the Men’s Interest category with GQ, Men’s Style and more muscle magazines like Men’s Health and Men’s Fitness.

From our recent reader surveys we know that Smith Journal has the highest crossover with like-minded titlesMonocle, The Monthly, The Economist and National Geographic. Smith Journal even receives regular editorial endorsement from Monocle.

We also know that 23% of Smith Journal’s readers are female (and growing).

To improve discovery of Smith Journal in newsagents, and in turn grow sales, we want to see Smith Journal re-positioned in newsagents’ General Interest / Current Affairs categories, more appropriate categories for where our current and potential readers are shopping.

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magazines

Excellent opportunity for newsagents with Pacific Magazines promotion

image003The $150,000 magazine promotion from Pacific Magazines starts today, exclusively in newsagencies that are part of the Pacific run nexus marketing program.

Newsagents should get behind this promotion as it offers a point of difference over supermarkets and other retailers.

All participating newsagents should be supporting this in-store and on their various social media outlets for the entire run of the campaign.

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magazines

Sunday newsagency challenge: check your GST

Newsagents control the items for which they collect GST in their businesses. The setting per stock item determine the GST reported as payable when you are preparing your Business Activity Statement. One newsagent recently was shown that they made a mistake in their stock file. They have been overpaying GST to the government for several years.

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Newsagency challenges

Sunday newsagency management tip: tips for efficient Facebook posts

Facebook is an essential marketing and communication platform for any business these days, especially in local retail. Unless you manage your time, it can take too long. Here are my tips for efficient use of Facebook:

  1. Do a week of posts in one sitting.
  2. Plan them. Be sure of what you want to say before you start.
  3. Use the schedule function to post date posts. This helps you do all the posts at once and thereby reduce the time you spend doing your posts. As noted in point 1, do a week of posts in advance.
  4. Write with a theme for a week. This can help you write with a purpose.
  5. Keep posts brief – people will scroll on in a second or two unless you ran their attention.Use one or two photos, no more than four.
  6. Always write in a certain voice. By this I mean write personally so people get to know the business through the posts.
  7. Have fun.
  8. Be yourself.
  9. Check for messages at the very least daily. Respond to all messages.

Being efficient with your time helps you create more efficient posts and this will be reflected in your content and, ultimately, engagement.

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Management tip
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