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Newsagency opportunities

I Was Wrong. We Sold Out. The Humbling Reminder That We Are Not Our Customer.

I have a confession to make.

I feel a bit foolish, and that’s not always a comfortable feeling. But this time, I’m glad I do. It means I had a wonderful reminder I probably should have remembered sooner.

For the last couple of years, we’ve been refining our product mix across at our www.mintcoinshop.com.au website that’s connected to one of my shops. We’ve developed a good sense of who our customers are and what they like. Or at least, we thought we did. We’d been intentionally saying ‘no’ to certain products, especially coin designs that seemed a bit… “out there.”

This policy was put to the test recently when we saw a new range of Halloween coins from Europe.

My immediate reaction was a hard ‘no’.

I looked at them and thought they were gimmicky. They felt “risqué” for our brand. I was convinced they would never appeal to our core audience of serious coin collectors. My internal narrative was all about protecting our reputation, maintaining our curated standard, and not wasting money on stock that wouldn’t move.

This was my bias, fully at work, masquerading as ‘good business strategy.’

I was just about to send the ‘pass’ email to the supplier when I remembered a classic retail truth hit me: We are not our customer.

My personal taste is irrelevant. My assumptions about what a ‘serious collector’ enjoys are just that, assumptions. Who am I to say that someone who appreciates a rare proof coin doesn’t also have a sense of humour and a love for Halloween?

So, we changed course. We took the risk. We ordered some of each design.

Last night, with a healthy dose of skepticism, I drafted a simple marketing email. I sent it out at 10 PM, figuring we’d see what happened by morning. (I even used what I call “deflection framing” in the copy, which is a whole other story, but it was my way of subtly bracing for a non-response).

This morning at 7 AM I checked the results.

We were completely sold out. Every single coin.

I’m thrilled, of course. But I’m also kicking myself. I’m glad we took the risk, but I feel foolish for not taking it sooner. How many other opportunities have we missed over the last two years because our personal preferences got in the way?

It’s a powerful lesson in the dangers of “managing for average.” So many businesses I see manage for average, they manage for results they can be sure of – often denying their business the opportunity of even better results, with a risk for sure, but with that risk comes education and that’s the cornerstone of growth.

It’s easy to get comfortable. It’s easy and safe to keep doing what we’ve always done. If we do, we’ll probably keep hitting our targets. We’ll do fine.

Fine is the enemy of better.

Chasing “safe” means we might miss reaching for something exceptional. Our comfort zone is a place where new opportunities rarely grow. This little experiment proved that the real risk isn’t trying something we think won’t work; the real risk is letting our biases stop us from finding out for sure.

I’m sharing this because it’s a reminder I needed. That feeling of being wrong, of being foolish, is a sign of growth. It means you’re pushing past your assumptions.

It leaves me with one big question for myself, and for you: What are you saying ‘no’ to right now, simply because you don’t get it or don’t like it?

That might be the very thing you should try next.

Final note: Right now, for newsagency businesses, that I have written about here matters. We are at a moment in time where we must play outside our small sandpit, where we must take risks in order to attract new shoppers. This is urgent for each of our businesses and vital for the channel and all who rely on the channel. I can’t stress this enough and the urgency with which we must act.

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Mark Fletcher founded newsagency software company Tower Systems and is the CEO of newsXpress, a marketing group serving innovative newsagents keen to evolve their businesses for a bright future. You can reach him on mark@newsxpress.com.au or 0418 321 338.

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newsagency of the future

Best practice invoices make life easy for newsagents

Check out how easy it is to load an invoice from Hunter Leisure into newsagency software:

Hunter is managing fulfilment for Ty products (Beanie Boos) in Australia now.

For suppliers: what makes the Hunter Leisure invoice so good is the clear labelling and inclusion of product barcodes. This example from Hunter is gold standard.

For retailers: this import uses the AI import tools in the Tower Systems newsagency software. More than 1,800 newsagents have access to this software. the AI tools are proving to be a game-changer: saving time, reducing mistakes and facilitating money making business decisions.

I am using AI tools everyday in my own shop, as I mention here:

I get that for some, AI feels too hard to understand. It’s not. AI tools embedded in POS software are helping local independent retailers every day. If you are not using them, you are not competitive.

I’m serious.

I know of newsagents who have cut labour costs by $175.00 a week by using the AI tools. That’s a $9,100.00 saving a year. And that’s for one of many AI tools in the software.

If you want a profitable retail business, using AI tools is essential.

In the Tower Systems newsagency software, newsagents can use AT tools to:

  1. Import supplier invoices without needing EDI files.
  2. Compare prices with retailers nearby.
  3. Generate blog posts that drive traffic to the business website.
  4. Generate product descriptions quickly that help your products be found.
  5. Receive a text summary of trading for the day with meaningful local data insights beyond what POS software usually reports.
  6. Be told if theft may be an issue in the business.
  7. See revenue you’re missing thanks to AI driven inventory watch tools.
  8. See what product pairings could drive additional revenue from impulse purchases.

These AI tools in the Tower Systems newsagency software and more are helping engaged newsagents fundamentally change their approach to business decisions and in-store actions.

To use these tools you don’t need to be a tech expert, an AI specialist. They are embedded in the Tower Systems software and are accessible as part of the everyday use of the newsagency software.

Newsagents and other small business retailers often speak about being time-poor and the cost of labour in the business. The AI tools address both pain points. They save time, which can save labour costs.

Using the AI tools all comes down to whether you want to save your time or the cost of time of staff in the business.

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You can reach Tower sales by phone on 1300 662 957 or by email at sales@towersystems.com.au. The website is: www.towersystems.com.au. If you’re a Tower customer, the knowledge base has advised on how to access the AI tools.

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Newsagency management

How we are using AI in our local newsagency in Malvern, Victoria

I’ve been in retail since 1996, and I’ve never seen anything with the potential of AI. Join me as I take you inside my small business and reveal the AI-powered tools I’m using to stay ahead of the curve. You’ll be surprised at how accessible and affordable these game-changing technologies really are. I shot this video on the weekend:

The term ‘AI’ gets thrown around a lot, but what does it actually mean for a local shop on the high street,for a newsagency? In this video, I cut through the hype and show you the real-world results. Forget complex theories; I’m talking about practical tools that automate our invoicing, optimise our pricing against nearby competitors, and even help us write compelling product descriptions for our website. If you’re a small business owner who’s curious but unsure where to begin with AI, this is for you.

In retail, standing still means falling behind. The tools we use today are just the beginning of the AI revolution. I’ll not only cover what’s working for my business right now but also share my thoughts on where this is all heading—from AI-driven reports that offer growth plans instead of just data, to insights that will help us serve our customers better than ever. Watch this video to understand the steps you can take today to future-proof your business for tomorrow.

Now if you’re from the camp that says it’s all too hard – it’s not.

If you’re scared of AI and what it will do, that’s healthy, it’s nit a reason to learn how to use it, and use it properly.

By this time next year we will look back is some business practices today and wonder how we did what we did. Ai will have that much of an impact – for those businesses that do embrace the opportunity and use it.

The key is to learn the tools and figure out how to best leverage them for your business.

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Mark Fletcher founded newsagency software company Tower Systems and is the CEO of newsXpress, a marketing group serving innovative newsagents keen to evolve their businesses for a bright future. You can reach him on mark@newsxpress.com.au or 0418 321 338.

13 likes
Newsagency management

Lotterywest offers WA retailers access to free online counselling

It is terrific seeing Lotterywest offer Western Australian retailers access to PeopleSense, a free professional and confidential counselling delivered by psychologists.

The service aims to help retailers gain practical skills to help with personal or work-related challenges. PeopleSense has been around for 22 years.

PeopleSense directly employs over 170 psychologists and 30 wellbeing experts, as well as working with a network of clinicians across the country. Access a team that works in unison to develop and implement the highest standards of care. We use modern best-practices and adapt our care plans to your unique needs. And our clinical governance continues to show real and meaningful improvements in care outcomes.

This is service that could help retailers facing challenging situations that are negatively impacting their own wellbeing.

I am not aware of any other suppliers offering a similar service.

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Newsagency opportunities

Small business retail advice: the battlefield is customer experience, not price

In today’s world of huge online retailers and national retail chains chasing business, the local retail business advantage is in creating memorable, human-centric experiences. This is where retail businesses, like newsagencies, shine.

I was in Japan in business a few weeks ago and visiting retail there reinforced the importance of the in-store experience. Retail staff are grateful you are shopping with them. Their engagement is gentle. They take pride in serving. Their attention to detail is excellent.

The service we provide in our shops is a key and valuable differentiator to online and big business competitors. It is the best place to start if you want to differentiate your business from them.

Double down on in-store service. Train your staff to be genuine experts and consultants. Remember customers’ names and preferences. Offer a level of personalised service and product knowledge that an algorithm cannot replicate. Create a welcoming physical atmosphere that makes people want to visit.

Anyone making the effort to shop in-store versus online needs to feel welcome. We need to remember they could be looking for more than just the product.

  1. Personal is your differentiator: Online (Amazon) can’t compete with the feeling of walking into a welcoming space. No matter how much they try, they can’t offer a friendly, face-to-face conversation, a curated sensory environment, or the immediate satisfaction of discovering something unique. Your physical experience is your moat against online giants.
  2. Personal builds emotional loyalty: A transaction is forgettable. An experience is not. Positive experiences create emotional connections that build genuine loyalty. Loyal customers are less price-sensitive, they recommend you to others, and they choose to support you because they want you to succeed.
  3. Personal supports your price point: A customer who has a wonderful experience in your shop is less likely to go home and search for the same item to save a few dollars online. The personal experience you provide become part of the value they take away. The experience itself makes the purchase feel more worthwhile.
  4. Personal creates a “third place”: Retail experts talk of in0store shoppers looking for a “third place”, somewhere that isn’t home (first place) or work (second place) where they can feel comfortable. Your shop can be that place.

Here are some tips for pursuing these points:

  1. Welcome every visitor.
  2. Help when needed.
  3. Provide a warm experience: fewer bright lights, for example.
  4. Ensure the shop always smells good with scents that appeal.
  5. Ensure the shop sounds good with music people hum along to.
  6. Add value every time you can: like how to use a product or when giving something as a gift is best.
  7. Thank them for stopping by.
  8. Support local in every way you are able.

The path to success against online giants isn’t about competing on their terms of price and scale, but by mastering the one area they can’t touch: the in-store experience. By offering a welcoming atmosphere, fostering genuine human connections, and embedding your shop in the local community, you  build a loyal following and create a memorable destination that customers will choose to support, ensuring your business not only survives but thrives.

In local small business retail we can complain all we like about online and big retailers, or we can provide in ur own a shop an experience that sets us apart and demonstrates in every contact the value of shopping local.

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Mark Fletcher founded newsagency software company Tower Systems and is the CEO of newsXpress, a marketing group serving innovative newsagents keen to evolve their businesses for a bright future. You can reach him on mark@newsxpress.com.au or 0418 321 338.

9 likes
Management tip

Good first day at Reed Melbourne Gift Fair

Yesterday was a good first day at the Melbourne gift fair with a diverse mix of retailers attending and most keen to do business.

Whereas five or so years ago this trade show would be dominated by gift shop owners and staff, now the retail channel mix is broad. yesterday I saw folks from jeweller, garden centre, pet and newsagency businesses, as well as gift.

There were plenty with online only businesses. There were also several over from New Zealand for the trade show.

While I think Reed is running for show one or two days too long, day one augurs well for the value of the event for the suppliers who have stumped up big money to be there.

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Newsagency opportunities

Forget Labubu, you likely have better opportunities in your shop today

Stop chasing fleeting social media trends and instead focus on opportunities at your doorstep.

In your shop today is likely a more sustainable path to retail success by focusing on the everyday items customers are actively searching for.

It’s a simple shift in perspective that can lead to lasting stability and growth.

I made this video early today after I was asked by a retailer about how to access Labubu for their toy / gift shop.

In our newsagency channel I see newsagents chase hot properties too late and ignore better opportunities along the way.

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Newsagency management

The future of the Australian newsagency relies on newsagents being retailers and not agents

While the Aussie newsagency channel was created in the 1800s to be agents of media outlets, today, in 2025, newsagents with growing businesses are achieving this by being retailers. There is no growth in agency business. There is a ton of growth in retail.

Given the diversity among the 2,800 newsagency businesses in the channel, it is impossible to guide a course that fits all.

The future of your newsagency business is entirely dependent on you. I appreciate that to some who bought their business because they wanted to be an agent offering easy to manage services or because they did not see themselves as a retailer this may seem daunting. Don’t be put off. I have seen plenty transition their businesses from agency-focussed to retail-focussed on the back of minimal retail skills.

If sales in your newsagency are flat or declining, you need to act for if you don’t act, one day in the future you will see closing as the only option.


The future success of Australian newsagencies hinges on three critical areas: product selection, business narrative, and sales approach.

The traditional model, reliant on newspapers, magazines, lotteries, convenience items, tobacco, and discount variety products, is no longer viable. Similarly, suppliers, particularly print media businesses, offer little support for the channel’s future.

Instead, newsagents must embrace a shift towards premium and unique offerings, prioritizing value over low price points and strategically managing margins. The principle of “find a need and fill it” is crucial for evolving local businesses.

I see there key pillars for success, there are others, these three are the key:

Products

Focus on products uncommon to the newsagency channel. This includes items such as:

  • Clothing
  • High-value gifts (e.g., $300 and above)
  • Non-remainder books
  • Cookware
  • Collectibles that draw customers from a distance
  • Toys – not crap but higher end, good brands.

Your list could vary depending on location and interest. For example: pets, outdoors, haberdashery. There is no limit here.

You are looking for products not currently supplied through traditional newsagency channels. While everyday items like stationery and greeting cards will remain, their success depends on smart curation and pricing to manage inventory burden. For example, selling stationery to passionate enthusiasts offers a greater opportunity than simply catering to basic needs. The scope of what you can sell is limited only by your imagination.

Narrative

Develop a compelling business story that explains the “why” of your business. This narrative, nurtured through product selection, in-store merchandising, social media presence, website content, and your personal engagement, builds trust with customers. An evolving narrative, adapting to you, the times, and your community, is essential. In today’s immersive retail environment, a strong narrative transforms a simple product into a desirable experience.

How You Sell

The ability to sell online is paramount. Without an online presence, businesses lack crucial insights into market dynamics and customer behavior. The future of the Australian newsagency is about individual businesses becoming smart, engaged, and creative. This will lead to a diverse, rather than cohesive, channel where each newsagency strives for local and online success.

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For newsagents unwilling to embrace change, the traditional model is unsustainable, leading to a reduction in the number of newsagency locations. However, for those ready to adapt, support is available within the channel to ensure the relevance and success of these vital local retail businesses. While the name of the shop is less important than its perceived identity, a locally relevant name is what I recommended. The future is not a single, clear prediction, but rather a collective effort of individual businesses innovating and adapting.

Change starts with you, with your decision to change your business, cliché as that sounds. Often when working with newsagents who have decided to change I have found a good place to start is by decluttering. Get rid of anything in the shop that you don’t use, don’t need or that does not add value to the business. Take a look at your stock, especially what you have not sold any of for at least six months. Why keep it?

Start by decluttering and while you’re doing this start to think about what you want the business to stand for, to be known for. A good second step to help you get focussed on change is to take every magazine off current fixtures, clean the fixtures, and place magazine back – but with careful consideration as to where to place each title. Create a magazine display that makes sense. Typically, this single action of relaying your magazines will boost sales by up to 10%. A goof third step to take is to take everything off the counter and then rebuild with products you think people will buy on impulse.

These three physical steps of decluttering, a magazine relay and a counter rebuild are good starting points to help focus your attention. In the overall process of redefining and rebuilding your business they are small steps yet vital.

Your current business data will provide insights as to moves you could make. Greeting card sales by caption along with magazine sales by category can wonderful inform of opportunities.

If I can help, please reach out: 0418 321 338 or mark@newsxpress.com.au.

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Footnote: There will be some who say the shingle should change, that news is not relevant. While it’s not relevant, what you call the shop does not matter all that much. It’s kind of like a picture versus a thousand words. What a shop shows itself as being matters more than what a shop calls itself. That said, Aussie newsagencies, being quintessentially local businesses are, in my opinions best off being called a name that is locally relevant – rather than some national name that is not locally relevant.

Second footnote: Reading back what I have written I know I have not made a clear and solid prediction. That’s because I can’t. There is no channel, no way to determine what all businesses in the channel will do.

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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. 

21 likes
Management tip

This new partwork will be a hit: Racing Bikes The Collection

I’ve seen the first issue of  the new part series Racing Bikes The Collection and am confident this will be a hit. It’s a good product that targets a marketplace we already serve in our channel. This is a newsagency channel exclusive.

The launch issue, our July 7, contains the Mick Doohan Honda NSR 500 and the series will feature Australia’s greatest bikes and riders.

This new release is from the same publisher who launched “Aus Cars the Collection” last year that has generated over $6.2m in revenue at the newsagency channel in less than a year and is the 2nd largest revenue driving print product Are Direct distributes.

Allocations have been based on Aus Cars and other male collections and there is a good number of extra copies if local demand is higher than our forecast.

A heavyweight nationwide TV campaign as attached will commence from Wed 9th July that will feature at the end frame “At newsagents now”. here is an early look at the TVC.

The fortnightly series will include a replica motorbike from the Moto GP and Superbike Championships, including Aussie icons bikes, along with an accompanying magazine with detailed information.

My recommendation is: get behind this, leverage the TV commercial. Place the new title near the counter, talk about it on your social media, get customers connecting for a regular putaway use your newsagency software to manage this as customers love to see their name on a cutaway label.

I know there will be some who will feel like bagging this new part series – move on, this. post is not for you.

It’s a newsagency channel exclusive, backed by a TV campaign. The opportunity for the channel is terrific.

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magazines

What is a newsagency?

What is a newsagency? is an interesting question. The answer in 2025 is different to the answer you may have seen a year or two ago.

Today, in 2025, a newsagency, newsagent or newsstand as some may call it, is what it needs to be for its local and online shopper communities.

The ideal newsagency today will offer a diverse range of gifts, practical stationery as well as stationery for stationery lovers and collectors, greeting cards, magazines, newspapers, lottery product (but more and more don’t sell lotteries), books, homewares, collectible products and pop culture products.

Back in the day, the local newsagent controlled the sale and distribution of newspapers and magazines in a town or region. That exclusive territory was ripped from newsagents without compensation in the late 1990s. Some newsagents are still grappling with the loss of their local monopoly today.

Losing the monopoly was embraced by plenty as they evolved their business. Plenty of newsagents moved into coffee and have done very well. others have opened bookshops in their newsagency, and done well. Some have gone deep into homewares, including furniture, and done well. Some have become firearms dealers while some have moved into garden related products.

You see, the answer to What is a newsagency? is broad, and very much dependent on the local newsagent.

As of today, June 2025, Australia has around 2,800 newsagency businesses, with each different to the others. While most still trade with the newsagency name, the majority do not look and feel like a newsagency inside, and this is a good thing.

Retail has changed, how people consume news has changed. Smart newsagents have adapted and found business relevance in new areas both in-store and online. Indeed it is online that has helped newsagents diverse more and through that to find new shoppers who might never shop a newsagency.

While some in Australia mourn the passing of the newsagency they knew as kids, from a practical business sense that old-style business is gone forever because it would not be viable today.

A typical newsagency back in the 1980s and 1990s would have seen 30% of their revenue come from print media, 30% from greeting cards, 20% from stationery and the rest from a mix of products (with lotteries not counted in this breakdown). Today, in June 2025, a typical newsagency would see no more than 20% of their revenue come from print media, 25% from greeting cards, 20% from stationery (including higher end and niche stationery), 25% from gifts and related and the rest from specialty products. A newsagency with coffee though would often find up to 50% of their revenue from coffee.

This underscores the differences between newsagencies and speaks to the complexity of answering the question of What is a newsagency?

Online really is playing a big role in the evolution of the Australian newsagency channel. For newsagents engaged online they are reaching shoppers who will never set foot in their shop and they are often doing this products they have never sold in their shop. The online experience is informing change in-store.

One newsagent decided to run a high end pet related business form the back office of the newsagency. As it grew, they decided to try the pet products in the shop and were surprised to see how well they went. They would not have made this move had it not been for the online experience.

The key to success for newsagents today is adaptability – the willingness to lean into change, indeed – to seek change out and explore how far their newsagency business could move into new territory.

The more we turn our back on the constraints of the monopoly years and play according to opportunities we see outside of the traditional, the more we will see local Australian newsagents thrive.

So, What is a newsagency? it’s a locally owned and run business serving needs that are local and afar and doing so in a way that people love and from which the stakeholders in the business benefit. A newsagency is a good local business, a thriving local business.

If you own a newsagency and would like help navigating change, I can be reached on 0418 321 338 or at mark@newsxpress.com.au.

24 likes
Newsagency management

Toys are a growth category for engaged newsagents and here’s why

The detailed April toy sales data are in and it was an awesome month for toy sales in indie retail in Austral;ia.

April 2025 experienced +7% in toy sales dollars, +1% in units. +6% in average price.

Games/Puzzles (+54%) was the top category gainer for this month, followed by Buildings Sets (+15%), Action Figures (+19%), Bicycles (+33%), Outdoor and Sports Toys (+3%), Plush (+1%) and Youth Electronics (+1%).

Jigsaw puzzles are having a moment again. I know of newsagents selling $2,000 in jigsaws a month without any marketing and discounting.

Dolls (-9%), Arts & Crafts (-10%) and Explorative and Other Toys (-8%) were the 3 largest category decliners for this month.

For YTD April 2025 vs. LY, Australia Toys was up +4% in dollars meanwhile globally toys market was up (+6%).

Top 5 Dollar licenced properties April ‘25

#1 – Pokémon#2 – Formula 1#3 – Hot Wheels

#4 – Star Wars

#5 – Barbie

Top 5 Dollar Gaining Properties April ’25 vs. April ’24

#1 – Formula 1

#2 – Pokémon

#3 – Minecraft

#4 – LEGO Speed Champions

#5 – Toniebox

This is all good news for newsagents engaged with toys beyond the cheap toy spinners offered on consignment – that end of the market is in decline. The growth is in good licences, higher end product and a toy department kids are welcome in.

Consignment spinners have no place in a modern newsagency in my view.

There are newsagency businesses doing well over $100,000 a year in toys. Anyone can do this. All it takes is for you to be a smart retailer.

Here are some reasons for toy growth:

  • Parents are becoming more proactive in seeking toys that promote learning through play. Science kits, robotics, coding games, and building sets (like LEGO and Connetix) are in high demand, aligning with Australia’s education system which encourages problem-solving and critical thinking.
  • Toys based on popular entertainment franchises, movies, TV shows, and video games continue to be a major sales driver. Properties like Pokémon, Formula 1, Hot Wheels, Star Wars, and Barbie consistently perform well, demonstrating the power of strong brand recognition.
  • A growing segment of adults purchasing toys for themselves, often driven by nostalgia, collecting, or hobby interests, is also contributing to market expansion. This “kidult” market often has higher disposable income and is drawn to limited editions and high-value items.
  • There’s a rising demand for toys made from eco-friendly and ethically sourced materials, reflecting a broader societal trend towards responsible consumption. Manufacturers are responding by incorporating sustainable materials like bamboo and organic cotton.
  • Sales data reveal that Australian families are willing to invest in higher-quality, more expensive toys, especially those that offer long-term play value, educational benefits, or align with aspirational parenting goals.

Tap into these and you’ll win.

6 likes
Newsagency opportunities

newsXpress retailers pitched in full page ad in The Australian Women’s Weekly today

Today in The Australian Women’s Weekly you can see the first of a series of ads and media coverage supporting newsXpress retailers and their release in exclusive partnership with The Royal Australian Mint a coin program honouring The Australian Women’s Weekly Birthday Cake Book.  The QR code takes you to the newsXpress website where stockists are listed.

This is good news for the newsagency channel and, especially, newsXpress retailers. It will drive net new traffic in-store, increase sales and honour a beloved

While the coins release on June 12, the teaser campaign starts today. What is planned between now and June 12 is comprehensive, big. What is planned for June 12 and the weeks after is even bigger.

I’ve owned newsagencies since February 1996 and been actively engaged with the channel since 1981. I cannot think of any other campaign supporting newsagents that has the scale of this launch and the opportunity of the products themselves.

I am grateful to The Royal Australian Mint and Are Media for the opportunity and their support over the last two years bringing this to life.

33 likes
Newsagency opportunities

Mother’s Day 2025 is over, what’s next? What are you working on today?

Mother’s Day 2025 is done and it’s four months to the next traditional season for newsagents and other retailers. Now, this four months can be filled with the every day, or you can fill it with actions designed to attract new shoppers. If you know me you know I’m pitching the latter: make your own success through actions designed to attract new shoppers. Start today, now.

Set your goals. Know what you want from the next four months in terms of revenue or other measurement points. Develop this with everyone who works in the business. Leverage their feedback.

Declutter. Get rid of all inventory items not selling. Items not selling are wasting your time, space and money. Decluttering is also good for your soul. And while you are decluttering, spend good time on cleaning up the counter. Everything there on your side and the customer side needs to have a vital role, needs to add value to the business. 90% of counters I see in newsagencies are awful.

Create events. Decide on a series of events to bring shoppers in. They should be fun and unexpected by your regular shoppers. Build them around a new product category or at least a category for which you are not well known.

Reset. Change the front third of your shop to look different, so much so that people notice it and comment on it.

Play outside the boundaries. Using a modest amount of capital and a small amount of shop floor space, bring in a product category you’ve never stocked before.

Get advice. Ask someone you trust to take a look at your business, for them to give you their warts and all view.

Change your social media approach. If you are like many small business retailers it’s likely your social media messaging is same same. Change it up. Take a 90 degree turn. Give people fresh content.

If you’re not online, get online. Like this is urgent. There are Australian newsagents doing hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales online.

What happens in and for your business over the next four months is entirely up to you. What you want by the time you reach Father’s Day is new customers shopping with you, insights learned, people loving shopping with you and more money in the bank. The success of the next four months is yours to make.

8 likes
Newsagency management

A reminder: we are not our customers

A week ago we were offered access to a limited-mintage coin being struck reflecting on Pope Francis: Pope Francis Welcome Home 2025 Canada 1oz Silver $5 Coloured Coin. The image depicts him meeting Saint Peter in heaven. I cringed when I saw it and dismissed buying stock for a second. Then, I thought I’m not that customer but others may be. Now, $5,000 in sales on, I am glad I was able to access this now rare product.

We did this as a pre-sale, meaning the entire shipment has been paid for weeks prior to the stock arriving from Europe.

The success here comes down to a few things that any newsagent can do:

  1. Being online. This means you can sell to anyone anywhere.
  2. Not shopping as if you are your customer. Let your customers show you what’s possible.
  3. Having a previous customer database to leverage.
  4. Backing your instincts.
  5. Risking little. Our initial order was for 5 to test. They sold in seconds and we immediately ordered more.
  6. Stepping outside. Outside your usual, outside the expectations of the shingle.

The financial commitment was modest, the risk small. The $5,000 revenue result speaks to the value.

I think it’s vital we play outside what has been traditional for our channel as it is through this that we find new shoppers, and new shoppers are key to a brighter future for our businesses.

I have one more point of this: speed to market. The folks creating this coin have done so at speed and this is key to success here. We are in a moment in the world and in retail especially where speed is vital. This is speed in project concept thoriugh to manufacture as well as speed at decision making,. With only 200 of these coins to be minted worldwide we needed to make a quick decision.

Oh, and a footnote. What I have discovered is that plenty of coin shoppers are traditional newsagency shoppers, and those who are not are loyal once they have found you.

9 likes
Newsagency opportunities

Quitting MYKI in the newsagency, another agency line

At my Malvern (VIC) newsagency we advised customers earlier this week that we are quitting offering MYKI public transport ticket recharge services.

We will stop offering all MYKI services including card top-up from the end of March.

For years, offering MYKI services has been loss making, costing us more in time than the government pays.

Most MYKI customers don’t buy anything else, making it hard to justify the service.

We’re a business and need to pay our staff as well as rent and other overheads. MYKI is not commercially viable for us.

We understand this will be disappointing.

By letting you know now you have time to consider other locations for your MYKI services.

Thank you.

Your newsXpress Malvern crew.

This is the only agency service we offer at the business. They were doing it when I bought the business a few years ago and we kept it on so as to not disrupt the relationship with customers, just as we have remained committed to the $400K a year on magazine sales.

While MYKI top-ups offer good shopper traffic, it’s unprofitable traffic. Commission is small and 80% of MYKI customers do the top up and nothing else. Of those who purchase something else with a MYKI top-up, for most it is a newspaper, another small margin product (12%).

A review of gross profit contribution versus labour cost made the decision appropriate. It was made even easier by the decision, finally, by the government that public transport users will be able to use their credit card to tap on and off from early 2026. In the meantime, our MYKI customers have a train station where they can top up a few minutes from out shop.

It will be good to be finally done with this last agency line we have. MYKI customers tend to want to tell us their public transport challenges. They also expect us to resolve issues they have with MYKI and no amount of telling them we are not the company by MYKI time is spend being polite to them.

At this newsagency and elsewhere we are not chasing shopper traffic. While good shopper traffic can make you feel busy, it, too often, does not sufficiently support profitability. We are focussed on efficient business profitability.

Selling high ticket price high margin lines for which the business is known and sought out is more valuable than these micro margin agency lines.

I’ll take being profitable over shop business every time.

In considering all of this we have to let go of the shopper expectation of the shingle. Aussie newsagents can sell anything. Being bound by the shingle in 2025 is unprofitable.

The reaction to our MYKI decision has been one of disappointment by customers. They are grateful for the advanced notice and our convcersations around how unprofitable offering the service is.

16 likes
Newsagency management

Generational shift: why plenty of local small businesses are for sale right now

Many small businesses are for sale in Australia right now, including many newsagencies.

While some talk about economic conditions as the reason (queue the cost of living spin cycle of news outlets), the bigges reason I can see is the age of the business owners selling. Typically, they a boomers planning for retirement.

The baby boomer generation, born between 1946 and 1964, comprises a substantial portion of small business owners in Australia. As this cohort reaches traditional retirement age, a natural wave of business transitions is occurring. Whether they make the decision to see or hand the business to family members depends on their own circumstance.

While this demographic shift has been predicted, not many took notice. Instead they are worrying as if something unpredictable and bad is happening. It’s not.

In my experience, many baby boomer business owners lack formal succession plans. This can stem from various factors, including the absence of interested family members or employees capable of taking over.

Consequently, selling the business becomes the most viable option for owners seeking to secure their retirement, which places us where we are today.

Plenty of baby boomers have accumulated ‘wealth’ or assets tied to their businesses. As they transition into retirement, they seek to liquidate these assets to fund their post-working lives.

The sheer volume of baby boomer-owned businesses coming onto the market creates a unique opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly younger generations. It also makes for a challenge for those seeking to exit – especially in sectors where there are plenty for sale, like newsagencies. This plays into price and the easy of finding a buyer.

Smart small business owners, including newsagents, have acted long ago to create profitable businesses knowing that they are likely to make more from the day to day trade of the business than when they sell. I have written about this plenty of times here and elsewhere. Make every day your payday.

Too often I see small business owners who have not planned for a profitable exit make emotional decisions and strike out against others as if they are responsible for decisions the small business owners themselves have made.

It’s a buyers market right now. It’s not too late, though, to focus on making every day count for more value for you, making the selling less stressful and sharp.

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Newsagency management

Are you leveraging brands in your newsagency?

Pokémon continues to be one of the top performing brands in Australia. There’s the game people play on their phone, collector cards and sets, magazines, plush, clothing and plenty more.

In Australia right now there 9,300,000 searched online a month related to Pokémon. There are 1,269,477 different keywords used in search that include Pokémon.

Now let’s look at Pokémon cards since these are products some newsagents sell with excellent success. There are 788,000 searches each month in Australia for Pokémon cards.

My point here is that flowing from the Pokémon is opportunity for newsagents, in-store as well as online, but more important online than in-store since that’s where shopping starts now for products like this.

Now if you think you’re customers are not Pokémon players or interested in Pokémon product, think again.

There is a passionate community surrounding Pokémon, a multi-generational community with dedicated fans actively seeking products and experiences. By tapping into this enthusiasm through targeted online promotions and a well-curated selection of Pokémon merchandise, newsagents can not only drive sales but also cultivate customer loyalty.

Think exclusive online bundles, early access to new releases, or even virtual events connecting local collectors. Embracing the digital landscape and understanding the nuances of the Pokémon market allows newsagents to position themselves as go-to destinations for fans, ultimately boosting their bottom line and ensuring long-term success.

Pokémon is just one of the brands with strong and loyal communities that you can leverage is you have a website connected to your newsagency software and if you take a brand-forward approach to your business decisions, especially marketing. My advice is to lean more into brands with strong followings and find new customers through this.

By understanding the scale of online interest and the passionate community surrounding a brand, newsagents (and other retailers) can strategically leverage both their physical and online presence.

While in-store displays and promotions will attract impulse buys, a smart online strategy, including engaging content, and a diverse product offering, is crucial for reaching the wider Pokémon fan base far away from your shop and driving substantial revenue growth. This proactive approach, focusing on brands with popularity and a following, offers a clear pathway to success in today’s changing retail world.

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Newsagency opportunities

Visting the Christmasworld trade show in Frankfurk was inspring, eye-opening

I am so grateful for the opportunity of visit the huge Christmasworld trade show in Frankfurt a couple of days ago. It was my first time.

When I say Christmasworld is huge, I meant it sincerely. This is a big trade show over several hal;ls with each hall bigger than any trade show hall in Australia. Once you add Christmasworld, Stationeryworld, Creativeworld and Ambiente together, three trade shows across one large campus in Frankfiurt, you have a trade event bigger than Spring Fair in Birmingham and much much bigger than anything in Australia. And, yes, size does matter for you are presented an extraordinary range for businesses from those who focus on the low end through to those who focus at the high end.

I’d talked myself out of going previously because of importation challenges. Now we have a viable solution for importation that has worked for a couple of years, I was ready. I was keen to be challenged in terms of what we could sell to Christmas-focussed shoppers, especially all year round.

While the trade show floor did offer what we’d call everyday Christmas decorations, they occupied a fraction of the space. What dominated was European craftsmanship and aesthetic in what I’d call the seasonal decor space. Whereas we might focus on classic Santa decorations for Christmas, the European approach is richer, more diverse and more stylish.

So many times on the trade show floor I saw products I’ve never seen from an Australian supplier that I knew would work. I also saw some products I’ve seen in Australia. I know of some major high end Aussie retailers who have sourced products at Christmasworld previously.

It was interesting talking with people working the trade show booths about what sells where and to hear stories of any business with Australia retailers. My most enjoyable thing to do though was to watch other retailers purchase. It was instructive to see what they had seen, that I had missed. Some insights I picked up were valuable.

So many suppliers at Christmasworld presented products I have never seen in Australia. I have come away with several orders in place and more on the way. I walked 21,000 steps, took over 500 photos and had genuinely meaningful business discussions with many suppliers.

I was surprised at how many suppliers did not use tech on their stands for taking orders. This also fed into some good conversations about software being used in retail. In our type of retail channel in Australia we are more tech advanced than what I heard about in Frankfurt.

Now, if you’ve read this far, thanks, and you’re be right to be annoyed at the little specific detail I have shared. I’ve kept specific details to myself for competitive advantage. Please don’t begrudge me that.

Here are some photos. Looking at them, they do not do the event justice. These first four though show how educational the event is. The first is a very popular display. The next 3 are of the same display showing some small details from the display, demonstrating the educational value of seeing this level of visual merchandising in action.

Here are some other photos:

Any retailer doing reasonable business in the Christmas space should attend Christmasworld at least once.

8 likes
Newsagency opportunities

World Money Fair in Berlin showed the appeal of serving collectors

Collectors come in all sorts today. Take coin collectors, there are coin collectors, licence fans who purchase coin products, nostalgia lovers who purchase coin products and then there are those celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, citizenship, new babies, Lunar New Year and other events who buy coins. The huge success of the Bluey, remembrance, AFL, NRL and other coin series attest to the diverse mix of customers in the coin space.

At the World Money Fair in Berlin this past week you could see a range of types of buyers of coins.

One of the biggest mistakes I see retailers making is dismissing coins as a viable product category. They think they can’t find or sell to coin collectors. But the reality is, everyone is a potential coin collector given the right circumstances. Coins tap into something primal – a connection to history, a fascination with craftsmanship, and the thrill of owning something rare and valuable. That’s what makes the World Money Fair so important. It showcases the breadth of the market, from classic gold bullion to pop culture collectibles, and everything in between.

Attending the trade show and talking with so many people has helped me understand even better the extent of the coin collector opportunity. It’s an important category in my own shops as well as online, into $1M+ a year. See our mint coin shop website for example.

Unlike the Spring Fair trade show I mentioned in my previous post, World Money Fair in Berlin took up as much space as I had seen previously and the floors were as busy with attendees as ever. This is a show for businesses as well, as individuals, which is interesting if you want to better understand one section of your customer pool.

I am grateful for the opportunity to attend and the insights gained. If all goes well, we will have another couple of mints to represent soon.

Oh, and yes, newsagents can do very well out of selling mint coins and related products.

If you decide to give coins a go, start with a smaller selection to gauge interest and build your knowledge. Partnering with reputable distributors is essential to ensure authenticity and fair pricing. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and learn about the fascinating world of numismatics – your enthusiasm will be contagious!

Here is an example of the broad appeal of coins: Major League Baseball Trading Coins. We have these at mint coin shop.

The New Zealand Mint has launched these and we are grateful to offer them. These aren’t your typical baseball cards; they’re meticulously crafted coins that celebrate America’s favourite pastime. Here’s what makes them stand out:

  • Officially Licence by Major League Baseball. 

  • High-Quality Craftsmanship.

  • Collectible Variety.

  • Rarity and Value.

  • Unique Packaging.

  • Blending  Hobbies.

Whether you’re a die-hard baseball fan, a seasoned coin collector, or someone looking for a unique gift, the New Zealand Mint’s Major League Baseball Trading Coins offer a compelling blend of sports memorabilia and numismatic artistry.

This is one example of a coin product that covers coin collecting, pop culture, sport and gift giving.

6 likes
Newsagency management

Now, if you haven’t planned 2025 for your newsagency business, here are some tips

I’m going to keep this simple and achievable. If you don’t have a plan for your newsagency for this year, do these things to get started, right away.

Find out what’s not working: the quietest hours of the day, stock that’s not selling, suppliers who are under performing. Your newsagency software can easily reveal these things to you, in seconds. These things provide you with your starting point, they provide you ToDo list.

What’s not working is stock you’re not selling, stock not sold whatsoever over the last, say, six months. List it and quit it. Getting a fraction of the cost is better that you getting nothing, which is what you’re experiencing today. Quit dead stock urgently.

Suppliers not performing are those shown to have stock that’s moving slowly or contributing the least to your grow profit. One you have the list, consider whether to quit the supplier or, maybe, to at least talk with them and explain the situation. Doing nothing with this information is not an option. Take action based on the evidence you have.

The quietest hours of the day are the most expensive in terms of labour cost. Look at your roster. Roster the business for profit over friendship. Or, figure out steps you can take to make those underperforming hours work better for you. Is there work on the business done in other times that can be moved to them?

These three moves are not a complete plan, they are not even part of a plan. The goal here is to give you thinks you can do today, action you can do today.

Action is what 2025 has to be about in every newsagency business. I think this has to be a year of urgency in our channel and we need to drive that urgency ourselves as no one else is likely to drive it for us.

Now before you say I am being melodramatic, the reality is that lottery purchases continue to migrate online, print media sales continue to decline, rents are increasing as are labour costs. These are known things. They alone are enough of a reason for us to see an urgency for us working on our businesses.

If you don’t have a plan for this year, use the steps here and, hopefully, while doing that opportunities for your own plan will come to you.

What you achieve in, with and from your newsagency in 2025 is 100% up to you. Success will come from change.

10 likes
Newsagency management

It’s 2025, what can the local Aussie newsagency expect for this year?

With the school year about to start and many now back at work after a summer break, we have an opportunity to turn our mind to 2025.

Hmm, if you’re starting to think about 2025 in your newsagency now, you are coming late to the party. For many, planning for 2025 was well under way six month ago. Never mind. Even late planning is better than no planning.

Let’s start by looking at what we think might happen in 2025 in the context of our Australian newsagency channel.

Newspaper sales will continue to decline. Newspapers will generate less traffic for your business. The financial contribution they make to your profit will fall. I expect over the counter newspaper sales to fall by between 10% and 12% this year.

Magazine sales will continue to fall. While magazines will generate less traffic, the decline will not be as much as newspapers depending on your approach to magazines. Newsagents with a strong commitment to special interest and niche category titles will have a good year. Those who focus only in the top 100 magazine titles will have a less good year. I expect overall magazine unit sales to decline by between 9% and 11% with the majority of that decline to come from the top 100 titles.

Stationery sales will be good, up, in newsagencies that gave a range tuned to local everyday needs as well as a focus on offering stationery for those who love stationery. This is an important distinction. People who buy stationery because they have to focus on convenience and function whereas those who buy stationery because they love it buy because they have found something not often seen elsewhere. Newsagency can play in both of ese spaces well, and thrive. I think stationery revenue can be up 10% if we put our mind to it.

Greeting card sales. As with stationery, people buy greeting cards for different reasons: obligation, guilt, expressing love, to be remembered in the future and because they like the look of a card. Newsagents who do the bare minimum and leave managing the card department to their card suppliers will have a flat year, maybe a decline – not because of the card company but because of the disinterest by the business owner in this vital category. Newsagents actively engaged with cards, those who pitch cards as an impulse purchase and those who understand and lean into the different reasons for buying cards, they will have a good year – I expect growth of 5% to 10% in card sales.

Gift sales. This is open land for harvesting, good land, fertile, ours for the taking – as long as we approach gifts as if this was the only category on which we could rely in our business. If we stock the kind of gifts a supplier says are perfect for a newsagency, the year won’t be so good. If we stock outside that quaint expectation and play outside what our businesses are known for, it could be a good year. I know newsagents expecting 25% growth in gift revenue this year, and more.

Online. This is the biggest opportunity for it’s us reaching people who will never set foot in our shop. In one of my own shops where our website is barely eight months old, we’ve already done $25,000 in online sales in 2025, with nothing spent on marketing. I know of a newsagent mature in online who has done $40,000 this year online. What we achieve is only constrained by our imagination. No, budget is not a factor, not from what I see.

2025 is a year of opportunity for our Australian newsagency channel. What we achieve is up to us. If we do nothing outside of what has been usual for us, we hold our business to the trajectory of 2024 and prior. If we change our approach, if we have a 90p degree turn, if we open some new does, if we fundamentally reset our shop with little consideration of what some expect of an Aussie newsagency, 2025 can be a year of terrific grow, wonderful profit and a feeling of achievement.

What have you got planned for 2025?

17 likes
Management tip

Valentine’s Day marketing tips for local small business retailers

Newsagents and other local small business retailers have a terrific opportunity with Valentine’s Day. It starts with you understanding that it’s not just about celebrating romantic love. Valentine’s Day is a perfect opportunity to share love, romantic or otherwise. Here are tips for having fun this Valentive’s day and driving success in your shops:

Put your Valentine’s Day cards out early, in the front of the shop so every shopper sees them.

Write about Valentine’s Day cards on social media, one card per post. Highlight fun cards, cards for non-traditional valentine’s day giving, cards you love. Give something of yourself in these posts.

Have one or two Valentine’s Day cards at the counter. Change them every few days.

Have a couple of Valentine’s Day impulse items at the counter: chocolate hearts, photo frame, a cute plush item.

Create a local love wall. Have a pen and a post0it note pad nearby and invite people to write something they love about the town – this shows that Valentine’s Day does not to be about romantic love, it’s about helping people connect with what they love.

Offer a free card selection service. Help people unsure about what card to choose to buy from you.

Offer free training or help with what to write on a card.

Share stories on social media that expand the appeal of the season.

Create a photo opportunity. Create somewhere people can come and be photographed. You could even have an Instax camera there for photos to be taken and put on a wall in your shop.

Pitch non traditional items as Valentine’s Day gifts. here are some ideas:

  • A squishy toy because you make be squishy with love.
  • Marbles because I’m marbles to love you.
  • A superhero products because you are my superhero.
  • A jigsaw so I have more time to spend with you.
  • A journal so you can write how much you love me every day.
  • Photo frames with cool and on-trend love messages.
  • A whoopee cushion because we share everything.
  • Cards Against Humanity because if we can survive this we can survive anything.
  • An Affirmations inspirations box as it brings my encouragement to your work desk.
  • A unicorn because rainbows = love.
  • A music themed mug or other item that connects with a band or song that has special meaning.
  • A plush item so you have something to hug when I am not around.

By embracing the broader spirit of Valentine’s Day and showcasing creative gift ideas, local retailers can not only boost sales but also become a cherished part of their community. This Valentine’s Day, let your shop be a hub of love, laughter, and unique expressions of affection, reminding everyone that love comes in many forms and can be celebrated in countless ways.

What you achieve from Valentine’s Day 2025 is dependent on what you invest in the outcome. Putting stock out is not enough for you to stand out and be talked about among friends. Be engaged. have fun. Make Valentine’s Day this year your best ever.

5 likes
marketing tip

Boxing Day is vital for newsagents in major shopping centres

The Boxing Day sales are a crucial event for small business retailers in shopping centres in Australia, especially on the east coast. This annual shopping event  presents a unique opportunity for these businesses to boost sales.

The Boxing Day sales draw significant crowds to shopping centres. This surge in foot traffic provides small retailers with excellent exposure to potential customers who may not have visited their store otherwise.

Smart retailers have bought for the sale and they use the Boxing Day sales to offload excess stock. This helps them free up valuable shelf space for new merchandise and generate much-needed cash flow.

By participating in the Boxing Day sales, small businesses can ride on the marketing coattails of the big retailers who spend up on advertising.

Successful Boxing Day sales can enhance a small business’s reputation and create a positive brand association with value and affordability.

In you are in a shopping centre, the Boxing Day sale can be a valuable engagement opportunity.

In my own situation, in high street stores, it’s not as much of a thing. Online, however, it’s HUGE.

9 likes
Management tip

Christmas at Mount Waverley

Yesterday, I shot this quick video on my iPhone at my Mount Waverley shop. There was no setup or prep work to make the shop camera ready.

9 likes
Newsagency opportunities
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