Mediaweek this week published some invaluable insights into tweens released by Pacific Magazines, publisher of K-Zone and Total Girl.  This information better informs us about this important marketplace:

Pacific Magazines has announced findings from its third Tween Tracker – a biennial research study which to date has surveyed over 1700 tweens (aged between 6 – 12 years), delving into their lives and lifestyles.

Miriam Condon, Research and Strategy Director, Pacific Magazines, comments: “Australia has over 1.9 million tweens, who control a $1.4 billion annual spend in the economy. Children are often at the heart of family decisions, with activities and purchases centred on their likes and interests.

“This latest research reflects Pacific Magazines’ commitment in the future generation of consumers. As one of the most innovative research studies of its kind in the country, Tween Tracker presents a unique overview into the needs, likes, fears and ambitions of Australian tweens today.”

Key findings include:

* Overall tween happiness levels are higher today than in 2010

* 3 in 5 tweens have a say in choosing the grocery products bought each week

* The i-generation: 65% own or have access to a smart phone; 49% own or have access to an electronic tablet, e.g. iPad; 88% of those who have access to a smartphone/tablet have used an app

* 1 in 3 tweens say their parents do not check what they are doing online

* 52% of parents say they are strict / very strict – but only 16% of kids say the same thing

* Social connections are more important than ever, with the top 5 sources of happiness in 2012: Family, Friends, Pets, Magazines, and TV/Movies

* Concerns are moving closer to home – with global concerns on the decline, and personal concerns such as pressure to do well at school on the increase

* Pressure to excel is linked to a 25% jump since 2010 in the time spent on homework, with tweens spending an average 2.8 hours per week on homework

* 81% of tweens say they have a busy schedule – one in three want to be less busy, whilst the majority (57%) wouldn’t have it any other way

Mychelle Vanderburg, Youth Publisher, Pacific Magazines, says, “The results provide a barometer into the hearts and minds of Australian youth – but also clear-cut guidelines to marketers on how to communicate, engage and interact in a meaningful way with tweens today.”

The new research demonstrates a growing and unrivalled understanding of the tween market, as Pacific Magazines continues to expand and deepen the touch-points for K-Zone and Total Girl readers, be it magazines, websites and television

Pacific Magazines’ youth titles K-Zone and Total Girl continue to lead the tween market. In the past six months, K-Zone and Total Girl’s circulation has increased by 3.0% to 42,042 copies and 3.4% to 48,145 copies respectively, indicating the continued strength of this medium with kids.

Ryman – The Stationer in London offers 90 minute delivery of ink and toner.

Newsagents who pitch being local and offering local services as a point of difference should take a look at this and consider copying the idea to the extent of their local delivery capabilities.

Fast delivery of online purchases is the next big move in online retail. Amazon is leading the push in the US with same day delivery planned for several large US cities.

Newsagents can offer this now – in a structured way around a unique selling proposition.

This is one of the examples I offered in the Newsagency of the Future series. It’s a tip I’d encourage regional and rural newsagents to consider.

I was in one of my newsagencies on the weekend for the first time in over a week and was thrilled to see how they are advising shoppers about newspaper price changes.

The notice shares appropriate information in a professional way, in keeping with our corporate image.

Given that our key competitors in this centre are major supermarkets and other national retailers, we need try and match their professionalism when it comes to signs and other shopper communications.

When was the last time you have someone not connected with your business look at your roster?  It’s a good experience, getting a second opinion.

Anyone with retail experience will look at revenue per hour, return per employee.

While many of us are close with employees, the business itself must come first, especially if money is tight and net profit low or non-existent.

Almost every newsagency I am asked to review has spare capacity in their roster. Even saving one hour a week could be worth between $80 and $150 in sales depending on the cost of the hour of paid labour saved.

Ask a friend with business experience or a fellow newsagent. Their free advice could drop some welcome cash to your bottom line.

There were plenty of upbeat newsagents and newsagent suppliers on the floor of the GNS Market Fair in Melbourne yesterday.

While this is a trade show for suppliers offering products through GNS first and foremost, there was an excellent mix of other suppliers there adding value to those visiting.

There was some discussion about the T2020 changes but most newsagents I spoke with were focused on retail opportunities for their businesses. This opened some excellent business planning and development discussions.

Alex Stewart, the CEO of GNS, presented an open and accessible face for the business … talking about excellent business opportunities for newsagents.

The Bendigo Advertiser is reporting the closure of a newsagency in the centre of the city. The photo published with the report shows a letter posted in the shop window casting some blame at suppliers to the business for the business closing.

They say the business was not given a fair go by some suppliers because of what happened with the previous owners.  The previous owners went broke.

I’d be interested in knowing if this is the case, if suppliers treated the business unreasonably because the previous owners went broke.

I have heard about this happening in our channel and wondered if it was an urban myth. If suppliers do treat a new newsagent poorly because of the actions of a previous owner of the business then they should be dealt with through the appropriate channels.

It was always a long shot and at least we got to express interest.

Our pursuit of a position with the future of Darrell Lea will not go anywhere. That said, our expression of interest has raised the profile of our channel and made it clear we are looking for products we can bring to our communities around Australia.  This could still play out for us with Darrell Lea in some way.

What is interesting is the newsagents who were prepared to put their hand up and nominate an amount they would invest. In a couple of days I received pledges totalling more than I expected, an indication that we could raise funds for some other appropriate corporate play.

We need to be thinking like this, chasing products we can have for ourselves, creating, through ownership, monopoly situations that cannot be challenged in the courts.  If we look around at retail success stories today they are built on factory to shop floor control: Smiggle, kikki.k, Apple.  We need to be thinking along these lines – no, not the size, by the model – controlling a respected and in-demand brand for our own benefit and the benefit of the shoppers we serve.

I am disappointed the newsagent associations did not see the bigger picture opportunity of Darrell Lea and actively promote it to their constituencies.