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

Author: Mark Fletcher

Australian Newspaper sales plummet in latest audit

The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald each reported more than 14% decline in circulation in the October to December quarter. The Herald Sun and The Daily Telegraph reported declines of more than 4%. The Australian circulation fell 8.4% and the Australian Financial Review 7.7%. B&T has the details.

The declines I am seeing in across the counter sales in retail newsagencies are not as great because the audit numbers, especially those from Fairfax, include a continuation of a clean out of the promotional copies circulated. That said, the importance and value of daily newspapers continues to decline for newsagents.

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Newspapers

DeAgostini need to stop using the N logo

I caught the TV ad for the My Animal Farm partwork last night and next to the text saying it’s available at newsagents is the latest version of the N logo.

Someone should tell DeAgostini that the N logo is being used by 10% or less of Australia’s newsagency businesses. It’s not a relevant marketing banner. It is also not used consistently with three (or more?) different versions in the marketplace.

So, DeAgostini – please stop using the N logo to promote partwork titles. Either list all the newsagency groups or just promote newsagents. What’s you;re doing now is a missed opportunity.

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newsagency marketing

Promoting a different looking Dolly

The latest issue of Dolly magazine looks different to usual. While I am no expert it feels targeted at a younger reader. The silver bagged packaging gives that feeling to me. Whereas there can be a sameness to Dolly and Girlfriend next to each other, this month they look very different.

Like I suspect other newsagents we received more than a 10% bump in supply of Dolly. his is odd given our 60% to 70% sell through iof past issues. Bauer has sales based replenishment, they should use it rather than loading small business newsagencies. It’s what SBR is for.

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magazine distribution

Using partworks to assist other magazine titles

Here is how we have been using the highly successful Cake Decorating partwork to drive sales of other titles. We have the partwork at either end and have placed six pockets of food themed titles in the middle. While titles like Better Homes and Gardens sell exceptionally well elsewhere, this additional location is an opportunity to grab extra sales.

While magazine sales are declining in many newsagencies, newsagents who obsess about product adjacencies and engage in co-location can achieve an increase in sales. This is where we can shine and prove our credentials as magazine specialists.

If we act in an average way magazine sales will fall.

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magazines

Grazia to close?

The Australian Financial Review is reporting this morning that Bauer is set to announce the closure of Grazia magazine tomorrow on the back of another poor audit result.

This will be a welcome move for those newsagents where Grazia sales do not even cover the cost of the retail space it occupies. Unlike supermarkets, newsagents are not paid a fee for space allocated to a title.

UPDATE: Bauer has confirmed the closure of the title this afternoon.

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magazines

Theft check service helps newsagents

My newsagency software company, Tower Systems, has emailed its customers reminding them of a free theft check service. It’s this service that has helped uncover hundreds of thousands of dollars in employee theft in the last six months. The processes followed result in evidence that is police, court and insurance company ready.

Newsagents tend to not want to check on employee theft because they are worried about what they will find. Ignorance is bliss I guess. It’s not when theft is discovered – often after the cost to the business is almost unbearable.

Here’s the reminder sent to newsagents this week:

We consider ourselves experts at helping our customers eliminate employee theft within their businesses. Employee theft can cripple a business and is often perpetrated by those you least suspect. We have found numerous instances of employee theft costing the businesses involved tens of thousands of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

With our assistance, businesses have been able to prevent further theft and, in certain cases, recover some of the money lost. We will gather evidence from your data and provide you with facts you can use.

Theft checks are available at no cost to supported users. They provide  piece of mind.

We understand the importance of discretion in matters like these and will do our utmost to protect you data and deliver information to the relevant parties.

All newsagents should speak with their software company about what they can do to help uncover employee theft and act on this.

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Newsagency management

Local magazines offer an important point of difference for newsagents

I like these local magazine titles, with Melbourne in the title. They allow us a point of difference, a local point of difference, in magazine range.

As magazine titles navigate challenging times for print and retail more generally, having a point of difference in a title and in our magazine range is vital.

In the case of these titles, from Melbourne based United Media, we have home town product, priced keenly and with content targeting local consumers. This is ideal for local small business newsagencies. It’s a reason to feature and promote the titles.

Experience has shown that displaying these titles together drives sales.

We need to embrace opportunities to show our magazine range as different to, deeper than, what shoppers see in supermarkets, petrol and convenience outlets.

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magazines

Leveraging Ellen DeGeneres

We are promoting the latest New Idea Jumbo Puzzler next to New Idea, where it should always be but also becaiuse of the Ellen DeGeneres cover shot. Ellen’s TV show is popular in Australia and this is set top rise when she broadcasts from here as part of a tourism push. The Ellen cover should help drive sales – as long as the full cover is on show.

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magazines

Valentine’s Day spend higher later in the day

I have been running some data tonight and love seeing the average basket value for Valentine’s Day related purchases. There is a measurable jump in basket size after 4pm each day this week.

These 4pm and beyond shoppers purchase two or more items whereas up to 4pm, the majority of customers purchase a card. While we don’t currently tag gender, we feel we see far more male shoppers for Valentine’s Day after 4pm.

Last minute Valentine’s Day shoppers are the best.

We are currently tracking plush sales equal to more than  50% of card sales.

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Gifts

How’s the Valentine’s Day season for you?

Valentine's Day at a US Hallmark.

I am hearing mixed reports from newsagents about Valentine’s Day this year. Those with lower than expected numbers say it’s because it’s in the middle of the week. I disagree – the day of the week should not affect sales except in rare circumstances.

From what I see, newsagencies which went out early, (4 weeks ago) with a broadly appealing Valentine’s Day display tend to be doing better.

In my own stores we have tried to create an offer that appeals across the age groups. This is what I saw in the US recently. Over there, they chase customers to purchase multiple Valentine’s Day cards.

How’s Valentine’s Day doing for you?

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newsagency marketing

Launching My Animal Farm

We have the new partwork, My Animal Farm, at the front of the newsagency, facing into the shopping mall. You can see it’s next to the start of our plush department. This adjacency makes sense given both products appeal to the same shopper.

National TV advertising starts today. I urge newsagents to make sure they have the title in prime position – to leverage the TV campaign for maximum benefit.

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partworks

Promoting the triple j hottest 100

The latest issue of triple j magazine is the one you need to promote as it has bropader appeal than most issues. The hottens 100 is the hottest promotion by triple j, it receives excellent media coverage. So, we have taken the opportunity to reconfigure our small music magazine display to promote this as the hero product while still respecting the important Rolling Stone.

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magazines

Promoting AFL season launch Record

We are promoting the season launch issue of the AFL record at the counter with this display. It’s the best position for impulse purchases  across the range of shoppers we see.

This and other AFL product need to be placed together to make the most of the AFL opportunity.

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magazines

The cost of staff vs the cost of customer theft

Newsagents need to approach their roster with care since labour can account for between 30% and 50% of all gross profit earned in the business. Too often I see newsagents staff for comfort and out of fear of shopper theft and thereby cost the business more than if shopper theft had occured.

It’s a calculation you need to make on your situation. I’d say saving money off the roster will deliver a more beneficial outcome than paying more in labour and reducing theft – if your shop layout is good and if you have good theft management and mitigation processes in place.

This is on my mind today as I have been in a couple of newsagencies where the roster carried extra hours because of fear of theft. The roster cost several hundred dollars a week more than necessary in my view.

The other note I’d make is that the more employees the greater the risk of employee theft.

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Newsagency management

Newsagent put Western Union network at risk

Some newsagents have yet to ensure that their AUSTRAC documentation is up to date and to code. this has resulted in some locations being shut out of Western Union. I engaged the ANF for an update. here it is:

The Australian Government mandated re enrolment process which commenced in February 2012. The ANF WU Team have been working with the newsagency network to undertake this process; we have assisted a number of agents to complete the mandatory AUSTRAC re-enrolment documentation by the 31 October 2012 Government Imposed Deadline.

After only receiving 50% of the re enrolment forms by the original deadline the ANF sought an extension which was granted to all Western Union agents by AUSTRAC to 31 January 2013. We understand leading up to the January 2013 extended deadline that several hundred last minute re-enrolment packs from all Western Union network agents across the country including ANF agents were submitted to Western Union. These are now being processed. This has resulted in some agents being temporarily suspended due to the large volume. The ANF is in contact with western union numerous times daily chasing all relevant paper work to ensure our newsagents are back operating as soon as possible. The ANF is pushing for all newsagents to be fast tracked through this process.

We are re enforcing to Western Union that all of the goodwill you have created for the WU Brand is being eroded every day you’re not transacting. If you know of any agents that are experiencing difficulty please free to pass on my details.

Regards

Jerome Jones | Western Union – General Manager
Australian Newsagents’ Federation Ltd
Level 3, 33-35 Atchison Street, St Leonards NSW 2065
D 61 2 8425 9617 | F 61 2 8425 9699
jerome@anf.net.au | www.anf.net.au

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Newsagency management

Mollie Makes sells fast

We are tracking the sales of each issue of Mollie Makes, having discovered strong interest in the title in our store. Six copies sold in a week is good going for a special interest monthly. We will increase our order again to make sure that we leverage this title for all its worth. Word of mouth is solid, driving traffic from destination shoppers.  Nice.

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magazines

Promoting last issue of Burke’s Backyard

We have put the remaining stock of the last issue of Burke’s Backyard at the front, showing off the full cover to give it a chance to sell out. Note: we have more garden titles than those in the photo – this is the top tier of the section. We use this positioning for titles we feature. Better Homes and Gardens is the beacon product for then section.

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magazines

Celebrating Harpers Bazaar special issue

This aisle end display promoting the special 15th birthday edition of Harper’s Bazaar features the terrific collateral provided by Bauer for the occasion, collateral that works especially well on our fixtures.  I like that we have different material to work with here. PS. This is the issue I mentioned yesterday.

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magazines

Promoting Men’s Health

We’re promoting the latest issue of Men’s health magazine with this display facing into our men’s reading area – it’s a cave we have for guys so they can browse away from the main traffic of the business. We’ve kept Coach in the display as it’s a nice fit with Men’s Health.

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magazines

Confusion of Harpers Bazaar pricing

Our EDI data for Harper’s Bazaar today has it selling for $8.50 yet the stock we have is the $12.95 special issue – the magazine plus the 150 page runway report. We have asked network and Bauer what to do and as yet are to receive an answer. The note from Network with the magazine this morning was not as clear as it could have been.

Newsagents should check their stock and their computer system.

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magazine distribution

How we handled running out of The Age

We ran out of The Age (again!) before lunch on Saturday. Our supplying newsagent, also a retailer in the shopping centre, refused us extra stock so we purchased most of what they had left, at retail. They were itching for a fight but our team member making the purchase stood their ground.

Given either their inability to ensure they can meet demand or a failure of Fairfax to ensure reasonable supply to the area, we will continue to do this – buy stock from our supplying newsagent leaving them with nothing if necessary. Eventually the message will get through.

We refuse to be without newspapers at lunchtime on a busy Saturday.

Our preparedness to take this action shows that we see newspapers as playing an important role, still, in today’s retail newsagency publisher disinterest notwithstanding.

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Newsagent suppliers

Sheldon as a Valentine’s Day gift?

I noticed a couple of girls having fun with the cardboard cut out we had of Sheldon from Big Bang Theory on Saturday. There were taking photos. One of them said it would be the perfect Valentine’s Day gift. So I moved Sheldon from the rear of the magazine department to the front. Why not … it’s hard to fail when you listen to customers!

I deliberately placed the barcode on his forehead top show he’s for sale and it kind of fits with his character.

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magazines
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