We are launching the IT Girl with this placement with girls and music titles. The placement next to Girlfriend Bieber is working. It’s showing off the new title to the right demographic and visually connecting the two titles as Bieber is on the cover of both.
Young girls are an important demographic for us, delivering valuable traffic and sales for the business.
We are promoting the latest issue of triple j magazine and the Lana Del Rey cover story with this front of location placement. Del Rey is in the news often at the moment – she polarises music fans and this is covered a bit in the triple j magazine coverage.
Selling music magazines is all about getting covers in front of the people interested in the subject – hence the importance of displaying the cover ideally for achieving this.
Check out a direct analysis of the outlook of newspaper stocks published at msn money overnight. The comments about advertising are particularly interesting. US newspapers del;y on inserts more than Australian newspapers. This activity is often coupon driven. Coupons are all but online now. We are not into coupons as much here in Australia.
Thanks to Twitter I have discovered The Natural Parent magazine. I like that they are promoting newsagents as the go to outlet for the title. I also like that through twitter I can discover a new magazine title.
More and more newsagents are transitioning their businesses, embracing new traffic generating opportunities, taking on products not traditionally offered to newsagency shoppers and working on improving business efficiency. I see the results in the business data I am fortunate to see almost every day.
What I see often are wise moves from newsagents with an eye to the future. Okay some moves don’t work … such is the nature of embracing change.
But there are plenty of newsagents who are not embracing change, newsagents waiting for others to ‘fix’ their businesses.
Newsagents who are not actively chasing change in their businesses today face a challenged future. The guaranteed traffic of newspaper, magazine and other shoppers is no longer guaranteed. We have to become proactive retailers.
We have to accept complete responsibility for our situation. Yes we can complain that others are to blame and we can feel let down by history … but that won’t change our situation today.
We have to accept complete responsibility for our situation.
This is good. It makes us, as business owners, responsible.
These are themes I am exploring in the new workshop: NEWSAGENCY OF THE FUTURE – START HERE. Click on the city to book a free sport: Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide.
For newsagents wanting a TO DO list, this session will be ideal. I am stripping away what we need to embrace change and will focus on change options available to newsagents.
I have some excellent case studies from newsagents well advanced in implementing change strategies. I also have some ideas from overseas to share.
There is no doing we are in transition. The opportunities for us are wonderful … if we embrace them.
Check out the impulse purchase magazine display unit I got to see in the US a week back. I like this unit. It’s space efficient and creates room for displaying a number of titles at the sales counter.
I can see this type of display unit working well in convenience type newsagencies and other similar space challenged locations.
I am sure we could find this unit available from suppliers in Australia. While It’s not for my and my businesses, I mention it today for others can see what other retailers are using.
The photo is from a stationery retailer I saw in Las Vegas.
Placing Bieber from Girlfriend at the front of the newsagency facing into the shopping mall is working a treat at attracting traffic in school holidays. Pacific Magazines timed the publishing of this title ideally, getting it out in time for the school holiday traffic bump.
We have the title in three locations – at the front of the store facing into the mall, next to music titles and with Girlfriend in the usual location for that title. It needs and deserves this active support.
We have high hopes for Bieber. Time will tell whether Justin Bieber has the pulling power of a year or so ago. We hope he does. His fans are very important to us.
The gift on the cover of the latest issue of Good Health magazine is ideal for driving slew of the title. The anti cellulite brush is working a treat and driving excellent results for us.
We have the title on display at the front of the business, on the lease line and facing into the mall. While we have stock in the usual location for the title, it’s the front of store location which is working a treat for us and delivering excellent results for Good Health.
We are promoting the latest issue of marie claire magazine on a column which faces shoppers as they leave our women’s magazine aisle and either head to the sales counter or leave the business.
This is a good location based on our experience, working well for many titles and other products we promote here. I mention this as it’s not the type of location publishers usually like. But getting sales in what really maters.
I was fortunate to be at the NANA Newsagent of the Year awards last night in Sydney. The highlight of the night was a panel discussion involving Nick Chan (CEO of Pacific Magazines), Greg Hywood (CEO of Fairfax), Jerry Harris (Managing Director, Group Newspapers and Digital Products), Russell Parker (Joint CEO Hallmark International) and Yasmin King NSW Small Business Commissioner).
It was the information shared by Jerry Harris and Greg Hywood which was most timely and interesting. They each reiterated what their respective companies had announced around two weeks ago.
Jerry Harris explained that News will redraw distribution territories and invite newsagents to tender for this. One newsagent challenged this from the floor of the event, explaining that he felt he was being “shafted”. Jerry Harris copped this on the chin and explained why News needed to control the drawing of the distribution map and why they were proceeding with newsagents tendering.
News will start in QLD in the next couple of months and then move onto NSW and VIC.
News and Fairfax made the point that they need newsagents to make money from home delivery. They acknowledged that newsagents have struggled to do this in the past. I was thrilled to hear them make both points. Acknowledging that many newsagents don’t have profitable runs today is an acknowledgement which has been denied for too long. Committing to a structure through which newsagents are profitable in newspaper distribution is vital.
While associations have said that they want to control the distribution map, this will not happen and was never going to happen. The publishers control the newspapers and own newspaper subscribers. They will assert control over the distribution territories to drive business efficiency.
I am thrilled to announce the beta release of the Newsagency Portal, a place where newsagents and suppliers can connect, advertise, do deals and promote their businesses to the wider community.
More than two years in the making and delivering a genuine first for the newsagency channel, the Newsagency Portal is unique in the Australian newsagency channel.
Access to the portal is free. Any newsagent can create profile pages for their businesses, advertise job vacancies, and find out about services.
Suppliers can list their services and advertise products for sale.
Product purchases made through the portal are prepaid. We, the owners of the portal, take a 10% fee for products purchased through the portal. This is the only revenue stream for the portal. Once an order is placed and paid for, the supplier is notified and the goods shipped.
I anticipate that newsagent suppliers will use the portal to release excess stock and to promote everyday stock at competitive prices. The portal is a marketplace which could be more efficient for suppliers than reps on the road which add to the prices newsagents pay for goods.
The portal offers access to business management advice as well as advice for new newsagents or those considering buying a newsagency. More advice will be loaded over time.
Here are the businesses we would welcome listing on the portal (for free): brokers, accountants, insurance companies, solicitors, newsagents, IT companies and newsagent suppliers. The more the merrier. This will be an online, live and changing newsagent services directory and directory of newsagencies.
It will be a real asset to the channel and make owning a newsagency more appealing to newcomers.
The portal also hosts a forum, a private place where newsagents can talk with each other, start threads and comment on other threads.
The portal has been created and funded by NXP Pty Ltd, a partnership between myself and Graham Randall.
Prior to today’s announcement we cleared out test data entered so we can start with a clean slate.
Over to you…
NOTE: This is a beta release. That is, it is a work in progress. Feedback from those who engage will help us make the portal more useful – for newsagents, suppliers and consumers.
We are promoting the updated re-issue of Woman’s Day and the special issue of Who magazine with this placement at the counter. It’s working a treat and have ordered extra stock as a result. One reason for success is that our counter is not that clutters – there are not other products at the counter nearby pulling foci from the title.
Sometimes a simple reminder to shoppers of the special issue is all it takes to get them to add the title to their basket.
In the usual location for Woman’s Day we have both issues on sale as requested by ACP.
The growth reflected in the latest ABS retail sales data will be a challenge for some commentators who appear hell bent on talking retail down. Personally, I think we are in for an excellent second half of 2012.
Chris Green of QNF Sales has uncovered an anomaly in the handling of GST of newspaper subscriptions which could have seen newsagent under claim GST. Following thorough research Chris contacted News Ltd and they confirmed that subscription credits to newsagents do not have any GST applied. As Chris has published…
We are now fairly certain, that due to the GST treatment of subscription credits, and subject to how Newsagents may be book-keeping their News Ltd statements; it is likely Newsagents who have customers subscribe directly to News Ltd; could be under-claiming their entitled GST.
Click here to see the details on the possible GST claim back opportunity for newsagents. For more on the excellent work on behalf of newsagents by Chris and QNF sales, click here.
The implications for newsagents receiving subscription credits could be considerable. After allowing for appropriate adjustments, newsagents could be entitled to credits reaching thousands of dollars – going back to 2006. Beyond the possible tax benefits, there could be implications for newsagents and their banking relationships as the research could result in some businesses being more successful on paper than they may have looked.
The work done by Chris for the newsagency channel is valuable. That he is sharing it widely ought to be appreciated by all newsagents. His research has been thorough and newsagents already are appreciating the results … I have spoken to a couple of are set to benefit to the tune of thousands of dollars.
Newsagents can contact Chris at Newsagencies For Sale Pty Ltd trading as QNF Sales by email at: cgreen@qnfsales.com.au.
There are plenty of newsagency brokers who claim to support newsagents. Few do this type of work which genuinely benefits the channel.
If you are a distribution newsagent and you have customers on News Limited subscriptions, check out your handling of GST today.
By Jason Bryce
Lawyers representing the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) have defended their failure to prosecute the directors of failed payments company Bill Express. ASIC have prosecuted a former financial executive of Bill Express and a share broker who assisted the directors of Bill Express to manipulate the BXP share price in order to help the directors avoid margin calls. Another junior executive associated with Bill Express has pleaded not guilty to charges brought by ASIC and faces court later this month.
Peter Couper, the former chief financial officer of Bill Express’ parent company OnQ was sentenced to 21 months in jail, wholly suspended, in the Victorian County Court on Friday. Couper pleaded guilty to four charges relating to the falsification of the company accounts, misleading auditors and misleading ASIC investigators.
In sentencing Judge Liz Gaynor recognised that Couper was an employee acting out the directions of his employers, Bill Express chief executive Ian Christiansen and his brother Hal Christiansen, a director.
“You never held shares, you were never a director,” said Gaynor “What you did was at the behest of the Christiansens, in particular Ian Christiansen. The only real benefit to you was the continuation of your employment.”
Gaynor also noted that Couper had agreed to give evidence against another former Bill Express executive, Enzo Di Donato, who has pleaded not guilty to charges relating to the rigging of the Bill Express share price in 2007 and 2008.
Macquarie Equities share trader Newton Chan was convicted and jailed last year on charges relating to the same share trades. Chan received a discounted sentence and served four months in jail after pleading guilty and co-operating with ASIC investigators. Chan gave investigators a USB flash drive containing instructions from Ian Christiansen.
Judge Gaynor noted that the USB flash drive contained instructions to Couper relating to a false purchase and sale of a non-existent mobile phone SIM card software product known as Simex.
The court also heard that Christiansen’s instructions also spelt out what Couper, Di Donato and Chan were to tell ASIC investigators.
Defence barrister Phillip Dunn told the court that finding a bullet hole in his office window was among a number of events that intimidated Peter Couper into following the instructions of the Christiansen brothers.
“This is an unusual case in many ways,” said Dunn who told the court that Couper was not a “high flyer” with a lavish lifestyle” but a “suburban accountant from Wantirna.”
“He was paid and salaried, he had no bonus, no shares, he was a servant of the organisation.”
Crown prosecutor Mark Gibson, representing ASIC, told the court that a prosecution of Ian Christiansen was unlikely because it would have to rely on the testimony of confessed perjurers Peter Couper and Newton Chan.
ASIC banned Ian Christiansen from managing a corporation for five years in March last year. His brother Hal Christiansen died in July 2008.
Newton Chan’s former employer, Macquarie Equities, is being sued for more than $10 million by Saudi corporate giant Al Othman over the manipulation of the Bill Express share price.
Between 2005 and 2008, Bill Express had a turnover of about $1billion per year mainly from the sale of phone cards and mobile phone recharge vouchers sold through 14,000 terminals in newsagencies and other retail outlets.
Following the collapse of Bill Express in 2008, Peter Couper and Enzo Di Donato were both employed by Activ8Me, a satellite broadband provider controlled by another former Bill Express identity Sandro Di Donato.
In 2007 companies related to Bill Express purchased small Adelaide based ISP Activ8Me which obtained authority under the Australian Broadband Guarantee to connect rural customers to government subsidised satellite broadband services after Bill Express provided written guarantees for Activ8Me.
In September 2011, Activ8Me was licensed by NBN Co. to provide satellite broadband billing services.
I am grateful to freelance journalist Jason Bryce for providing such a comprehensive report for publishing here. The insights in this report go beyond reports published elsewhere.
News Limited has given Victorian newsagents a welcome yet paltry increase in newspaper home delivery fees. Newsagents continue to be paid less in real terms today than they were paid ten years ago. But News does’t care.
I am confident that there are some in News who are ashamed at the increase.
The company also disrespected those who help newsagents by announcing the fee increase on July 2 for an increase which took effect from the same day. There was a time when the company would have respected service providers like software companies and provided a week or two of notice so that appropriate advice could be repaired in advance.
See my comments about the small increase for NSW newsagents last week. The comments apply here too.
Newsagents have been invited to submit April – June sales data to me for inclusion in the latest newsagency sales benchmark study. In just 24 hours I have received data from more than 50 newsagencies. By early next week I hope to have data from three times this many.
I will publish the results here for all to see. The results will give newsagents a set of numbers with which to compare their own businesses. That said, our best competitor is our own business from the same period a year earlier.
Who magazine is out tomorrow, three days early on the Eastern Seaboard, with special coverage on the impending divorce form a range of perspectives:
WHO delivers a 15-page special report into the sudden divorce between Hollywood power couple Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, revealing how the actress secretly plotted her escape after tiring of her superstar husband’s controlling ways and amid growing fears for the future of their daughter, Suri.
We will be promoting this issue in prime position.
I am hosting NEWSAGENCY OF THE FUTURE: START HERE, a completely new workshop for newsagents only (no suppliers) with new content specifically targeting options for newsagents who want to restructure their businesses for the future (and today).
The workshop will run for two hours with plenty of Q&A time. It will cover specific traffic generating and basket building ideas for newsagents in shopping centre, high street and rural situations. I’ll look at strategy and tactics.
The dates so far are:
Our future is up to us. No supplier is going to deliver a future for us. We have to back ourselves, in our own businesses. This starts with us being aware of an accountable for our situation.
This is not a sales session. All newsagents are welcome. Attendance is free. One of the workshops will be video taped and an edited version made available for download.
Essential Research yesterday published results of recent research into what Australians think, among other things, about journalism and the challenges facing newspapers. On the question of concern about newspapers closing…
48% were very or somewhat concerned about the possibility of most daily newspapers closing in the next few years and 48% were only a little or not at all concerned. 78% of those who read daily were very/somewhat concerned – and 52% were very concerned.
Those most concerned were women (53% very/somewhat), aged 55+ (59%) and Victorians (59%).
I encourage newsagents to read the Essential report. I am surprised at the weak support in the community for journalism and newspapers. I am also surprised at the low engagement with news websites.
We are promoting the new range of gifts we have sourced with which to expand our gift range behind the sales counter with the display shown in the photo. The visual theme has been carried through the store – connecting a series of displays with the same look so that shoppers know that what they are seeing is all connected.
The behind the counter display is designed to draw attention to the fact that there is new stock, a considerable range of new stock.
We have ended our latest ink campaign that saw us send flyers promoting great brand-name ink deals to 15,000 homes around one of my newsagencies. As happens every time we run an ink campaign, we find new shoppers coming in discovering our ink deals and purchasing other items in the visit.
Ink is the perfect product with which to combat the consumer misconception that newsagencies are expensive. By targeting well-known products from well-known brands we are able to show that we are competitive. Getting shoppers to believe this for ink is a good step to them believing it form other products we sell.
This ink campaign kicked off our autumn / winter promotions which will see us through to Father’s Day.
I love the display created by the team of one of my newsagencies to promote the latest issue of Harper’s Bazaar.
The display is situated on a column at the front of the newsagency, facing into the shopping mall. It’s being used to attract shoppers to the business.
The design of the display reflects a quality of the title … if that makes sense. I like the way posters have been used to effectively underline, and thereby highlight, the title.
People ask why we do displays like this. The question surprises me. They are a vital part of keeping the business fresh and relevant.
ACP has announced that a special issue of Woman’s Day will be out Wednesday this week for newsagents on the Eastern Seaboard excluding Far North Queensland. This issue will have eight pages of pictures and editorial covering the divorce proceedings plus a new cover. It will have the same barcode as the current issue.
From yesterday, the small business instant asset write-off threshold increased to $6,500 from $1,000. This means that assets you purchase for your business up to $6,500 can be written off this financial year. This could help with small shop fit changes, new signage, new newsagency computer system and other capital investments in your business. There is also a change to depreciation for motor vehicles which may benefit newsagents changing vehicles.
Here is an example direct from the ATO website:
During the 2012-13 income year, Kylie’s Flowers buys a new refrigeration unit for $3,000. As the refrigeration unit is a depreciating asset and costs less than $6,500, the business can claim an immediate $3,000 deduction for the 2012-13 income year.
These depreciation initiatives specifically for small businesses have not received the coverage they should have given the mass coverage on the carbon tax. Some media outlets are very selective in what they report.