Author: Mark Fletcher

We have reduced magazine space by 30% at our Frankston newsagency with the removal of a unit which covered the area in the middle of the photo.  We have also removed our purpose built newspaper unit.  Thanks to a change in the way we display titles, this will see a reduction in magazine range by just under 20%.

The bare concrete will be carpeted Monday and we will then have a second dance floor in this business which can be easily reconfigured for key seasons and used for high margin gifts at other times of the year.

The new open space makes the shop brighter, easier to shop and easier to zone.  Zoning is crucial in retail yet a challenge in most newsagencies because of old purpose-built fixturing.

Given how we will configure the new space as well as magazines and newspapers, we will be drawing more customers deeper into the shop and thereby giving them more impulse purchase opportunities.

As part of the magazine and newspaper units coming out this week, every magazine was moved and many were moved a second time.  The result is a new layout with which we are very happy.  We have kept space for tactics we know work like a column of crosswords next to women’s weeklies, a column of food titles in with women’s weeklies, beacons branding and full waterfalls to denotes the start of some new segments.

We have moved stands promoting the latest issue of Prevention, Better Homes and Gardens and Family Circle to the corner of the counter at our newsXpress Forest Hill store which customers approach as they leave our busiest magazine aisle – women’s titles. Both stands were located next to newspapers, a space now occupied by the ACP Magazines basket builder stand. This move will present all titles involved to new customers.  It is part of our commitment to be always moving stock to combat store blindness. The stands will stay here for at least a week.  we track success by counting stock in each pocket.

We are promoting the new issue of Prevention magazine, out yesterday, next to our main newspaper stand.  This location worked well for the first two issues.  We also have Prevention in our women’s health section and women’s weeklies sections.  The second issue sold well in all our stores.

Prevention is the magazine launch of the year in my view.  Excellent merchandising support for newsagents, strong sales and good media support have made this a successful launch.

We are promoting the 2010 calendar issue of FHM with a display next to where the stock is located in store. This approach of promoting a title where it is usually located is working well for us – most recently with Zoo in this same location.

Too often, our displays are off-location and while they may drive sales, they don;lt train customers as to where the titles can be regularly found.

We were sent Chook Wisdom three years ago and returned all copies received.  We received the latest issue last week and will early return these this week.  This is a highly specialised title which we feel does not fit with our customers.

Chook Wisdom is a title I’d prefer to be asked if I want.  This respects the retailer and the publisher.  If I missed the request then I apologise.

CRIKEY! magazine is not working for us.  None sold in two months.  We will cut supply by 66% and see how it travels over the next couple of issues.  We have tried a couple of locations and prime position with these two placements.  I’d be interested in how this magazine is travelling for other newsagents.