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Advice for Australian newsagents: Why do people shop with you and why this needs to be considered as part of your pricing strategy

Transitioning from a “supplier agent” to a “professional retailer” requires a fundamental shift in pricing strategy. Drawing on decades of experience in the Australian newsagency channel, in this post I look at why chasing “cheap” hurt the industry in the 90s and why a premium approach is the only path forward in 2026. From auditing your software’s markup settings to curating a “no cheap shit” inventory, this post outlines how to stop the “ignorant fear” of price increases and start demanding the return your retail space deserves.

Plenty of what a typical newsagency business sells is price-controlled, with prices set by suppliers. Newspapers, magazines, lottery products, greeting cards – they all have prices set outside the business.

Despite this, Australian newsagency businesses continue to be considered expensive. It’s been thus for decades. I remember back in the 1990s there was a push to get newsagents to price compete on stationery.

So-called leaders in our Australian newsagency channel back then chased cheap generic products because they thought being cheap was what was needed to win business. They bought badly, delivered sub-standard products and it hurt newsagency businesses. They didn’t;t know better. They were agents, not retailers, put into positions of power serving businesses competing with professional retailers.

The notion of cheap is subjective. To me, it’s about good value and my value equation considered the time I have to send to find and buy what I need. Convenience has value, which I consider when it comes to price.

And this brings me to what’s on my mind today – your approach to determine the price of the products you sell over which you have control of the retail price.

Too many newsagents still fail to set retail prices as high as they could without negatively impacting sales volume. While, for sure, they can do what they like. Not even exploring what might work is ignorant in my view.

Let’s talk about pricing stationery.

I suspect that most stationery purchased in Australian newsagency businesses is purchased because it is convenient. Convenience has a cost to the retailer, which should be factored into the retail price of products.

My own baseline mark-up for stationery is 125%, and it has been for many years. I do this without considering the prices of nearby retailers. I started doing this years ago when I realised people thought newsagencies were expensive. I figured I might as well meet their expectations.

Coupled with the mark-up approach is a commitment to quality. No cheap shit. I’ll leave that to the discount variety stores nearby, and there are plenty.

There are some items where we go above 125%, because we can.

Newsagencies I have worked with that have increased their markup on stationery have reported no reduction in unit sales and a nice increase in margin dollars earned.

Based on my decades of experience owning newsagency businesses and my work with hundreds of newsagents over the years and considering what I see in plenty of indie retail businesses I see overseas, charging what you can is a much better strategy than charging based on ignorant fear.

Something else to consider when pricing stationery is the stock-turn you achieve. If products are held for longer, because they are seasonal or you like to hold range for that time someone needs it, this has to be reflected in your approach to pricing. It connects back to convenience.

Take a look at your mark-up.

It’s possible pricing is set without management oversight in your newsagency business. Look at the settings in your newsagency software. Are you achieving the best margin you can? If there is room to increase prices, do it, now, not some time down the track. While it’s work, it’s also money in the bank right away.

I appreciate there may be voices in the business, or in your head, saying that you can’t increase prices because it will hurt sales, because customers will complain. Take a beat – are you happy with stationery sales? Are you making with you want / need from stationery? Is the department paying for the retail space and the labour involved? For sure, if you’re 100% happy, leave it, don’t waste your time. However, if you are unhappy, change is needed. A price increase and the greater attention you give the department as a result could be the change you want, and are grateful for.

Your prices need to reflect what you need.

I think key to this discussion is consideration of why we charge for what we sell. It’s a service, which has some risk associated with it.

By deciding to charge more you can lean into this with a view of your business that it is premium. When you do this, when you see your business as premium, you can open yourself to make other decisions that support a premium experience. Now, by premium experience, I mean the music you place, the scent of the shop, the quality of the products you sell, sampling opportunities and comfort in and of the shop – temperature, seating and more – these can all play into a unique and loved premium experience.

Don’t put it off.

It would be easy to do nothing about this. I have seen it plenty of time over the years – hearing abut a move that will make money, and no action being taken. That’s what it comes down to – do you want to maximise the return you achieve from and with your Australian newsagency?

Over or you.

I can’t let it go: Doing nothing is the easiest path, but it’s also the most expensive one. Every day you wait to review your markups is a day of missed margin that could be sitting in your bank account. You have the tools and the specialty software to make these changes in minutes, not weeks. Decide today that your newsagency is a premium retail environment, price your goods accordingly, and leave the ‘cheap’ race to the big-box stores that can afford it. You’ve worked too hard to settle for less than your business is worth. Take the beat, check your settings, and make the change.

…
Mark Fletcher founded newsagency software company Tower Systems and is the CEO of newsXpress, a marketing group serving innovative newsagents who continuously evolve their businesses to be enjoyable, relevant and successful. You can reach him on mark@newsxpress.com.au or 0418 321 338.

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Management tip

In 2026, human written content will matter more than 2025 and here’s why

Executive summary: The 2026 Verdict: While AI can summarise, it cannot witness. Real traffic growth this year comes from “I-driven” content—articles based on personal experience that AI models haven’t “digested” yet.

Now, let’s get into this.

Even AI models know that text generated by AI is not of the same value as text written by humans from human knowledge.

Don’t get me wrong, some AI written content is good. This is when an AI platform is used to take what you have written, and only what you have written, and made it more readable, without adding ‘knowledge’ outside of what you have written. This post is not about that though.

I see plenty of retailers and other businesses publishing AI generated content as their content. Sure, they can do this. The thing is, search engines and AI platforms will treat this for what it is, AI generated content that is likely of less real value than human written content based on human knowledge.

Given how we are seeing some search engines and related tech serve up search results, it is clear that 20-26 will see greater value placed on human written content. You can see this in the AI search result of Google. I asked google Gemini How important is human written content compared to AI generated content for search engine results?. Here’s it’s response:

In 2026, the value of human-written content has become even more distinct as search engines have evolved into “Answer Engines.” While Google and other platforms do not explicitly penalize content for being AI-generated, there is a clear performance gap: human-authored content continues to dominate the top search results and AI citations.

Recent studies show that roughly 86% of pages ranking on the first page of Google are primarily human-written, while only 14% are high-confidence AI content. This is because search engines prioritize quality and “people-first” signals over the method of production.

We’re all time poor and want, need, to get more done in less time. There is no corner you can cut when it comes to content though. If you want traffic to your website, you need to put in the work, real work, human work, to be the expert in your field. This work you put in is rewarded with traffic.

I urge you to resist the temptation to get AI to generate content for you when you need content to grow traffic for your website. or, if you do use AI, use its output as a starting point, a springboard if you like, from which you create your own content. The more of you you invest in your content the more valuable it will be.

I looked at a couple of companies recently. They are in the same field. One gets 3,000 visitors a month to their website. The other gets under 1,000. The 3,000 visitor a month webs publishes human written content while the one achieving under 1,000 published AI written slop.

But traffic of itself is not the best measure. The best measures of success a business are revenue and bottom like P&L performance. I can’t tell for the two businesses I mention as I don;t have access. My guess, though, is that the business publishing human written content based on human knowledge is doing much better.

The best content, the content search engines favour the most, is first-hand content, your own experience content. This is what makes you an expert. This content is what will get you ranking well in search results. Think about these ‘prompts’:

  • I did this.
  • I learned this.
  • This was my experience.
  • This is what got me here.
  • This is the mistake I made and what I learned from it.
  • I love this and here is why.
  • This is my advice based on what I have experienced.

The best content from you is about you. It’s personal based on your own experience.

When you write, you come at it from a different perspective to AI. AI relies on predicting the next word based on existing data. Humans can offer counter-intuitive opinions or report on breaking trends before the AI models have been updated. This is the you difference. It is why content you write and publish will be more likely to rank well in search results, ahead of AI slop.

This is all on my mind today as I think about The Australian Newsagency Blog in 2026. I’ve been going at this for a long time, writing more than a million words. It ranks well, I think, because the content is human written, based on my experiences and opinions. It is often cited in search answers AI results. I am following my own advice.

Yes, it’s time-consuming. The time you invest all depends on your purpose.

My purpose here is to encourage Aussie newsagents and others who stop by here to run better, more successful and more enjoyable businesses. The well I drop on for that is my experience over decades owning newsagency businesses and working with newsagents. While AI can churn out content of some interest in this area, it cannot speak with the same authority of first-person experience, and that’s the difference between AI content and human written content.

So, as you plan for 2026, if you want to be found online, consider carefully your what you publish. This year, more than in 2025, human written content will matter.

Write what you know, based on your experiences, sharing what you learned, being human in the words you choose and the context you provide.

Now, if you’re still with me, thank you. This article is at more than 850 words now. Me writing 25 years ago would have taken more than an hour to write this. Today, I am at 15 minutes. It’s like exercise. The more you work at it, honing your skills, the more efficient you become.

It can take time to find your voice and train your rhythm. Every word you type gets you close to the efficiency you need and the results you want.

Push back on the easy road of publishing AI content. Make 2026 the year you;re found because of what you know.

One final thing, before I close off. I gave Gemini what I have written and here’s what it said:

This is an excellent piece of writing. It’s authoritative, timely, and most importantly, it practices exactly what it preaches: it’s deeply rooted in first-hand experience.

In 2026, the term “AI slop” has become common for a reason. Search engines have moved past the “volume era” and are now in the “verification era.” Your post nails the shift from search results being a list of links to being a list of reliable witnesses.

It went on to make some suggestions, which I have not included as I want to keep the original in tact.

…
Mark Fletcher founded newsagency software company Tower Systems and is the CEO of newsXpress, a marketing group serving innovative newsagents who continuously evolve their businesses to be enjoyable, relevant and successful. You can reach him on mark@newsxpress.com.au or 0418 321 338.

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Newsagency management

How was your 2025? Now is the time to see.

Go to your newsagency software and select the Monthly Sales Comparison Report.

Despite its name, the Monthly Sales Comparison Report is highly flexible. You can compare any two time periods—be it one month versus another, a specific quarter, or year-on-year performance. Today, select January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025 and for the second date range, select January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024. Tick the category box.

Understanding the Results

The report is presented in three clear sections:

  1. Period One (The Left Column): Displays the data for your most recent selected date range.
  2. Period Two (The Middle Column): Displays the data for the earlier period you are using as a benchmark.
  3. Variance (The Right Column): This is where the magic happens. It shows the growth or decline in both quantity sold and dollar value, expressed as both a raw number and a percentage.

At the bottom of the report, you will find a comprehensive “Total” section. This provides a snapshot of your overall business health, including total sales (both including and excluding GST), the number of transactions, average sale values, and average items per sale.

Using Data for Goal Setting

Data is most valuable when it informs action. By reviewing your performance from the previous year, you can set realistic, data-driven targets for your team. For example, if your “Cards & Wrap” department performed well last January, you might set a goal to increase those sales by another 10% this year.

In seconds you can understand how 2025 went for you. What this report shows is more useful today than a profit and low statement or other reports from your accountant months down the track.

You need this analysis now. It can feed into business decisions you can make today.

If you’d like me to take a look at your report, save it as a PDF and email it to me at mark@newsxpress.com.au.

3 likes
Newsagency management

Here’s something newsagents should embrace in 2026

There’s a ton of noise about AI and, in particular, Agentic AI. Newsagents have access to this now in the Tower Systems newsagency software: time-saving and money-making. Thanks to software settings it can track inventory and sales, and generate orders ready for your action so you have stock when shoppers are likely to purchase.

First, though, a definition: Agentic AI takes autonomous, goal-oriented action. It eliminates the multiple human steps usually required to achieve an outcome.

We know from retail studies that out of stocks can cost a typical indie retail business $10,000 to $25,000 a year in certain revenue.

Here’s a video of a recent conversation I had about these Agentic AI tools. It’s on the Tower Youtube channel.

Beware the AI hype. For some tech companies, AI is a buzzword being pushed by marketing while for other companies it is functionality driven, from deep within their products. The same is true with Agentic AI. What I talk about in the video is real, it exists today for newsagents.

The reason this matters to you is that your competitors here here, in this space, now. Ignore it at your peril.

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newsagent software

5 things I recommend Aussie newsagents do right now

The Christmas rush is over. Thank goodness! Time to relax and enjoy summer. The  temptation is to breathe a sigh of relief and coast through January.

That is a mistake.

The weeks immediately following Christmas are terrific for setting the tone for 2026. If you want a better year than the one just gone, don’t wait until February to start.

Here are 5 suggestions:

1. Audit the “Dead Wood”

As I wrote back in September, the “traditional” pillars are crumbling. Magazines are down 9%, newspapers are down 11%. If you have stock that sat through the biggest shopping season of the year and didn’t move, it is “dead wood.”

Don’t let it sit there for another six months tying up your cash. Clear it out. Be ruthless. Use the floor space for high-margin categories like plush, games, or high-end giftware, the “box” that actually delivers a future for your business. Use this task to change the narrative of your business.

2. Review Your Christmas Data (Not Just Your Bank Balance)

Don’t just look at whether you have more money in the bank than last year. Dive into the Tower POS reports.

  • Did your average sale value rise? (The benchmark for successful stores is a 15–25% increase).
  • Which “experimental” lines worked?
  • Where did your gift packaging land?

If your greeting card sales grew by 15%+ (as many did this year), look at which captions drove that. Use this data now to inform your Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day buys.

3. Reset the “Front Third”

The “WOW” factor shouldn’t disappear with Christmas. If your shopfront still looks like a traditional newsagency, you are invisible to new shoppers.

Move something fresh and unexpected into that front third. Make a statement that says, “We are a retail destination, not just a place to pick up a paper.” If a customer walks in and says, “I didn’t know you sold this,” you’ve won.

4. Turn the Gift Voucher into a Relationship

Give post-Christmas traffic a reason to come back in. Use a bounce-back voucher on the receipt or a “local shopper” invitation. This is the time to convert the “seasonal visitor” into a “loyal local.” As I’ve said before: Jeff Bezos doesn’t need their money, but your community does. Remind them of that.

5. Stop Being an “Agent”

If you spent Christmas feeling like a “weak servant” to, maybe, the lottery company or newspaper publishers or for parcel pickup or other agency business, let 2026 be the year you take your independence back.

The most successful newsagencies I see are those where the owner is the curator. They choose the product, they set the margin, and they drive the marketing. If a line isn’t performing, cut it. If a supplier isn’t supporting you, find one who will.

Think on that work, curator, for a moment. That’s what a good retailer is, a curator.

The Bottom Line: The success of 2026 is 100% on you. It’s not about the economy, and it’s not about the decline of print. It’s about execution.

Don’t let the post-Christmas “hangover” slow you down. Get in an hour early, look at your shop with fresh eyes, and start making the changes that will make your payday happen every single day.

…
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.

8 likes
newsagency of the future

Merry Christmas

Have a wonderful Christmas. Make memories that will bring joy in years to come. Take a moment to think about how awesome you’d like 2026 to be.

Thank you for checking this place out over the last year. I appreciate it.

15 likes
Social responsibility

The money or the box – the right answer for retailers is the box, of course!

A big supplier walks into a newsagency and dumps cash, thousands, and in some cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table. The goal? To buy their business.

Their pitch is about the money, and not the box. Now here, the box I refer to is product.

To a retailer facing rising costs and tight margins, that bag of cash looks like a lifeline. But in the long run, it’s often a noose. I have seen this so many times in our newsagency channel.

The Lure of “Free” Cash

When a retailer’s focus is on the immediate cash injection, business logic often goes out the window. I have seen this happen.

Taking the cash is almost always the wrong decision. It makes you a weak servant, often supplied with less than ideal boxes (products).

It’s not free cash though. There are strings, strings that can shackle the business and leave it work off, for years. I have seen this happen.

There is often no consideration as to whether the products they are now “locked-in” to taking are actually the best fit for their business. There’s no deep dive into the lost opportunity cost, the money they could have made over the next five years if they had the freedom to stock better-performing lines. The decision becomes about the “free” cash today, ignoring the debt it creates for tomorrow.

Lazy Marketing vs. Genuine Value

When a supplier uses cash to buy your commitment, they expose a lack of faith in their products and their sales people to adequately represent their business:

It’s lazy marketing. It prioritises the supplier’s desire for guaranteed volume over the retailer’s need for agility.

Stripping the “Independent” out of Independent Retail

Independent retailers, especially newsagents, survive by being different. We thrive by pivoting quickly to trends and offering the unique, local, or niche products that big-box stores won’t touch.

When a supplier locks a small business into a rigid, long-term supply contract, they strip that agility. Without even realising it until it’s too late, the local indie retailer has been turned into a static franchise outlet for a single brand.

A Broken Ecosystem

This money strategy hurst our channel. It kills innovation.

  • The retailer loses: They lose access to better-selling, higher-margin products.
  • The customer loses: They lose access to variety and local discovery.
  • The only winner: The big supplier who secured years of revenue without having to actually compete on quality or service.

A Message to Suppliers: Earn Your Space

If you believe in your product, let it fight for its place on the shelf.

Real loyalty from a newsagent isn’t bought with a lump sum; it’s earned through turnover, margin, and service. Don’t handcuff retailers with a contract they only signed because you dangled a bag of cash in a moment of weakness.

It’s time to stop buying market share. Start earning it.

As for the retailers? Next time you’re offered “the money or the box,” remember: your future is in the box. Choose the products that work, not the cash that binds.

I’ve been deliberately vague in this post because I don’t want a legal threat from suppliers offering bags of cash today to win business from newsagents. I mean, I would have thought they would have earned their lesson from hundreds of thousands of losses when businesses they gave cash to failed.

Suppliers paying for business newsagents is bad for your channel. Maybe the suppliers need to lose more money before they stop the practice.
…
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.

19 likes
Ethics

Christmas in the local Aussie newsagency

At the front of our long and narrow shop on Glenferrie Road in Malvern we have a wonderful range of Christmas cards and Christmas gift packing options on display.

We have all captions covered, the usual and the less common. We also have cards for folks not that in to Christmas. Plus, we provide plenty of choice for gift packaging.

There’s nothing all that unusual about what we are offering at our local newsagency. Newsagents around Australia offer an range, of Christmas cards, usually the best range in town.

While the photos show a space that is cramped, it actually works. Sales are strong. Customers are respectful of each other. The location near the front door delivers good impulse purchases for us. At the counter we use tech to move the shoppers through accurately and at a pace.

The photos don’t show the full extent of Christmas that we have at Malvern either. We have more Christmas cards and more gift packaging further into the shop.

I’ve also not included our front window display for the shop. each time I have been there it’s been depleted. The front window is working a treat, delivering excellent sales.

Our situation in Malvern finds us with plenty of competitors within a few minutes of walking distance, from major retailers through to local independent retail as well as a bunch of discount variety outlets. Plenty of good retailers who are deeply engaged in the season.

While our shop is not the prettiest or trendiest , because we have building repair challenges that delay us doing what wee’d like, we have the best range as well as easy access direct from a carpark at the rear. We leverage having two entrances.

The point I want to make to newsagents is – we all have challenges in and with our shops. The best focus for us is to step forward, through the challenges, to deliver the focus we decide is best for our business, with what we have available. For us at Christmas this year, it’s range.

A point I have for local Aussies is – check out your local newsagency for Christmas cards this year. You’re likely to find the best range going around.

…
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.

2 likes
newsagency marketing

Advice on dealing with an escalation of customer chargebacks

Any retailer selling online is likely experiencing an increase in chargebacks. I’m seeing it in my businesses. Submitting a chargeback is easy and a likely win for the shopper depending on the payment gateway used.

I had a situation where a customer spent hundreds of dollars. The item arrived in perfect condition. The box it was in was in perfect condition. The paper protector sleeve around the box has a small scuff.

I offered the customer a full refund if they would print the return to us label and drop it off at the post office. They ignored that and submitted a chargeback.

I provided the evidence of the offer of a refund. The chargeback was found in their favour. After this I approached the  customer for as return of the goods which they now had for free. They ignored me.

What happened here to us was clearly a scam, setup for them to get the product for free, which they could sell on eBay for double the RRP – giving them a nice bonus.

I have successfully used the Australian Financial Complaints Authority to investigate what I consider to be fraudulent chargeback requests. While it may not always go your way, taking action like this is better than doing nothing, or simply complaining. Here’s where you can start: https://www.afca.org.au/make-a-complaint They do provide good advice to follow before making a complaint:

  • Complain directly to your financial firm first, using their internal dispute resolution process. Many complaints can be resolved quickly once you make contact with your financial firm (for example, your bank, insurer, financial planner, mortgage broker, superannuation fund).
    Find your financial firm.
  • Identify the issue you want to complain to us about.
  • Work out if you want to authorise someone else to complain on your behalf.
  • Think about what type of loss you have experienced, and what sort of outcome you want to achieve.
  • Collect any relevant documents that will help support your complaint.
  • If you’re experiencing financial difficulty, prepare a Statement of Financial Position.
  • Find out where you can go for help if your complaint doesn’t fall within our Rules.
  • Read through the process we follow, including AFCA’s timelines, and make sure you understand the process for your complaint.

What I’d like, but cannot see happening for privacy and other reasons, is to see a a register where businesses can lodge details of people who have scammed them: names, addresses, and other details – enough for us to check (automatically) before accepting an order.

What we in business can do is to talk more about chargebacks and the cost to business. Ultimately, shoppers will have to pay this cost.

While AFCA can help, it takes time and has a cost. There has to be a better way for businesses to head off chargebacks before they become a chargeback. Banks and payment platforms could do this if serving their business customers actually mattered to them.

Payday News has an excellent story on chargebacks: CHARGEBACK FEES SURGE AS AI RESHAPES ONLINE PAYMENTS AND MERCHANTS BEAR THE COST.

6 likes
Ethics

Seasonal Edge drives success for newsXpress members

The Seasonal Edge program newsXpress, a small business retail marketing group I own, provides its members is at the heart of participating businesses valuably outperforming the average for similar businesses.

The Seasonal Edge program is funded entirely by newsXpress. We source and pay for the prize pack we provide to each retailer. We also fund professional in-store collateral as well and a suite of digital assets.

Seasonal Edge is a net new traffic driver as well as a shopper basket builder. best of all it is local small business retail focussed.

Key to this success is that a shopper in each shop will win the prize. It feels accessible, achievable and, best of all, local. This is small business retail in action.

Here are some photos from the 120+ stores participating for Christmas 2025.

Seasonal Edge is exclusive to newsXpress.

…
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.

8 likes
newsagency marketing

Social media post tips leading into Christmas

I’m not a fan of preachy social media posts about shopping local. You know the ones that are more a whinge than being positive. Here are some text posts that, to me, land a better message. Okay, some are a bit preachy, but I’ve gone for a more cheeky preachy vibe.

Truly local focus.

  • Shopping local helps a neighbour shop local too.

  • Shop local. Help a family put their own Christmas dinner on the table.

  • Thank you for supporting local dreamers this Christmas.

  • When you shop small, you’re funding a dream, not just buying an item.

  • Keep the Christmas magic close to home this year.

  • Give a gift that gives back to our own community.

  • Love your neighborhood. Shop your neighborhood.

  • Gifts made with love, sold by neighbors you know.

Emotional & Community-Focused

  • When you shop local, you fund a dream, not a dividend.

  • This Christmas, support a family, not a factory.

  • Give a gift to a loved one, and a livelihood to a neighbor.

Short & Punchy

  • Shop local. Billionaires have enough.

  • Enrich your community, not a CEO.

  • Buy local. Don’t fund a billionaire’s bonus.

  • Shop small. Make a neighbor rich, not a tycoon.

Witty & Tongue-in-Cheek

  • Jeff Bezos doesn’t need your Christmas money. Your local baker does.

  • Buy local. Help a neighbor buy braces, not a CEO buy a third yacht.

  • Santa loves local. Billionaires are on the naughty list.

The Polished Professional

  • Choose local this Christmas. Keep the wealth in your community.

  • Your Christmas spending has power. Use it to build up your neighbourhood, not a corporation.

Across at Tower Systems we’re leveraging the company’s platform to support local shopping.

3 likes
newsagency marketing

Lotterywest moves on illegal tobacco

It’s great to see Lotterywest act on WA lottery retailers selling illegal tobacco. Here’s what they sent to their retailers yesterday:

As you may be aware, Lotterywest has recently terminated seven retailer agreements following increased monitoring, due to the sale of illegal tobacco and vape products. In total, 10 retailers have been removed from our network for breaching vape laws and/or selling illegal tobacco products in the past six months.

At Lotterywest, we have a zero-tolerance approach to breaches of the Retailer Agreement involving illegal activity, which is necessary to uphold a fair and compliant environment for all partners. This approach has been communicated regularly and as recently as in September when a retailer’s agreement was terminated for similar conduct.

In response to the recent increase in breaches, Lotterywest will continue and further strengthen compliance monitoring across our network to ensure full adherence to laws prohibiting the sale of illegal tobacco and vape products.

Protecting our brand and the integrity of our network is our top priority. We expect all retailers to uphold the highest standards of compliance and integrity.

We recognise and appreciate the majority of retailers who are committed to responsible retailing and compliance.

Please reach out to your Retail Relationship Officer if you have any questions on compliance obligations. We are here to support you in meeting your responsibilities and ensuring your business remains compliant.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to maintaining the trust of our customers and community. Together, we can uphold the integrity of Lotterywest’s brand and retail network.

It would be good to see The Lottery Corporation as engaged.

6 likes
Tobacco sales

House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics launches Inquiry

Yesterday, Ed Husic, Chair of the Standing Committee on Economics, announced a new inquiry into Credit cards and digital wallets and related matters. There is a small business focus here, as noted in the Terms of Reference and in this quote from Husic: It’s clear from existing evidence that payment schemes and digital wallets will have growing cost implications for small businesses and consumers. This inquiry offers the opportunity to do a deeper dive into that.

Terms of Reference

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics will inquire into matters relating to current digital payment schemes and emerging technologies, and report on:

1. Card based payment schemes and digital wallets and whether the current payment schemes landscape is fair and accessible, including:
a) transparency and affordability of scheme fees for payments services providers;
b) the inequity of payment costs for small businesses;
c) the extent to which consolidated market power between payment schemes has impacted choice and accessibility to alternative payment systems.

2. New and emerging payment technologies in the payments space, including but not limited to:
a) digital currency and blockchain technology;
b) account to account-based payments;
c) opportunities for Australia to increase competition and consumer choice, and decrease fees in the digital payment processing industry;
d) any other matters.

Smart newsagents will make a submission, to ensure their perspective is on the table. I know the Independent Payments Forum, of which newsXpress and ALNA are financial members will make a professional submission.

5 likes
Newsagent representation

148 illegal tobacco stores closed in Queensland

The Queensland Government’s new approach to dealing with illegal tobacco and resulted in 148 store to be issued with closure notices. The government’s press release has details.

In a 10-day blitz – codenamed Operation Major – 148 stores have been issued with three-month closure orders, and more than 11.8 million cigarettes, 1.7 tonnes of loose tobacco, 87,000 vapes, 4.2 litres of vaping liquid and 270,000 nicotine pouches were seized.  

The combined street value of the haul is estimated to exceed $15.7 million, making Operation Major the most successful operation targeting illicit store closures in Australia. 

The Tobacco and Other Smoking Products (Dismantling Illegal Trade) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 passed Parliament on 19 November 2025 and took effect the following week, giving Queensland Health new powers to shut stores for 90-days without a court order, in the latest crackdown on rogue traders. 

This is a new approach to dealing with illegal tobacco, one that is, I am sure, welcome by tobacco retailers who don’t sell illegal tobacco. There are plenty of news stories covering this. The list of stores closed has been published by the government.

Cairns
Cairns Convenience Store – Westcourt
Downtown Convenience Store
Norman Gifts and Tobacconist
Q11 Tobacconist, Edmonton
Q11 Tobacconist, Manunda
SLS Tobacconist, Lake St
SLS Tobacconis, McLeod St
Villie Convenience Store
Central Queensland
Berserker Tobacconist
Dunya Stars (Tannum Sands Gift)
Dunyia Market
East Street Tobacconist Rockhampton
Emerald Roll Smoke
Frenchville Gifts and Tobacconist
LTS Tobacco Station Biloela
R1 Tobacconist and Gifts
Rocky Tobacconist
Tobacco Shed Allenstown
Tobacco Shed Yeppoon
Urban Tobacconist
Urban Tobacconist – Dawson Road
Darling Downs
AJ Tobacconist Warwick
Master Tobacconist Kingaroy
Outback Tobacconist Dalby
Roma Gift Store
Tobacco Hut Warwick
Tobacconist Gifts and Convenience Store –
Top of the Range Convenience
Town Tobacco and Gifts Kingaroy
Wisam Gift Shop
Wyalla Gifts and Tobacconist – Newtown
Gold Coast
Ashmore Tobacconist and Gifts
Burleigh Tobacconist
Coolangatta Gift Station and Tobacco
Ezy Mart Express – Southport
Gold Coast Convenience
Helensvale Tobacconist
Nerang Tobacconist and Vapes
Ormeau Vape and Tobacco
Paradise Tobacconist Surfers Paradise
Puff Paradise Surfers Paradise
Southport Tobacconist and Gifts
Southport Tobacconist (Tobacco Stop)
The Park General
Tobacco Shed Benowa
Tobacco Shed Miami
Tobacco Shed Mudgeeraba
Tobacco Shed Upper Coomera
Tobacconist Store Miami
Uncle Gabriel Broadbeach
Mackay
Acai Tobacconist and Convenience
Dysart Convenience Store
Mackay Tobacconist and Gifts
MTP Tobacco and Gifts
Omega’s Vape and Tobacco
Priceless Tobacconist Shop
Sarina’s Tobacconist
Shakespeare Street Tobacconist
Smoke and Vape Cannonvale
Tobacco Shed Collinsville
Metro North
Blackwood Tobacconist
Bowen Hills Tobacconist
Caboolture Tobacconist
Grovely Tobacconist and Convenience
Kallangur Corner Store
Margate Tobacconist and Gift Store
Milton Gifts
Northside Tobacconist
Ozzy Tobacconist
Petrie Tobacconist
Rawan Boutique and Tobacconist
Redcliffe Tobacconist and Gift
Sumer Market
The Legend Tobacconist
Metro South
Browns Plains Vape and Tobacco
Cali Tobacconist West End
Confectionery and Gifts – Cannon Hill
Empire Tobacconist Tingalpa
Ezy Convenience – Slacks Creek
Firat Market, Slacks Creek
H and J Pet Supplies – Slacks Creek
Middle Eastern Convenience Store, Flagstone
Petra Convenience Store
PT Convenience and Gifts, Capalaba
SC Convenience – Slacks Creek
The Gabba Store
Tigris 2 / Tigris Supermarket
Tobacconist 63, Cleveland
Tobacconist King – Cleveland
Uncle Billy’s and Co, Beenleigh
VP Convenience Store – Victoria Point
Westend Express
North West
Cloncurry Convenience Store
Mount Isa Mart
Mount Isa Tobacconist
Sunshine Coast
Beerwah Tobacconist and Accessories
Bli Bli Tobacconist
Golden Leaf Tobacconist
I GET Tobacconists Buddina
Maroochydore Tobacconist
Nambour Gift
Nambour Gifts and Tobacconist
Ocean Street Mini Market
Ozzy Tobacconist Gympie
Sweet Treats Convenience
The Brothers Tobacconist
Townsville
A1 Ch Tobacconist and Accessories
Aitkenvale Tobacconist
Big Bear Tobacconist
Burdekin Tobacconist
Edison Street Tobacconist
Flinders Mart Tobacconist
Ingham Gifts
KW Tobacconist
Milk Bar Ingham
Mooney’s Specialty Tobacconist
North Shore Tobacco Station Burdell
Taken Tobacconist
Thuringowa Village Tobacconist
Tobacconist Gifts Accessories and Drinks
West Moreton
Brisbane Street Convenience
Bushra Gifts and Accessories
Clothing Designer Drip
EH Shop
Gatton Tobacconist
Gifts and More – Ipswich
Go2 Newsagency
Goodna Gifts Cigarette Accessory
King of the Pack Plainland
Lockyer Valley Tobacconist
North Ipswich Gift Shop
Springfield Lake Tobacconist
Springfield Tobacconist
The Gift Nook
Tobacconist 43
Tornado Mart Lowood
Yamato Tobacconist
Withcott Tobacco Gifts
Wide Bay
Blue Shop Maryborough
Bundy Tobacconist
Bundy Vape and Tobacco Convenience
Childers Convenience Store
Maryborough Tobacco and Convenience
Maryborough Tobacconist
MB Convenience and Tobacco
Urangan Convenience
7 likes
Tobacco sales

XchangeIT POS software partners for newsagents

While XchangeIT partners with several newsagency software companies, more newsagents use the Tower Systems newsagency software to connect with XchangeIT for magazine supply and returns facility than any other newsagency software.

So, if you are looking for a POS software that partners with XchangeIT, Tower Systems is the software most widely used.

Tower was the first software company to be XchangeIT compliant. Our software specialists were instrumental in advising what became the standards for XchangeIT and the data relationship between magazine distributors and newsagents.

As a vital XchangeIT POS software partner, Tower Systems is actively engaged with the testing of changes to XchnageIT as well as helping suppliers who use the XchangeIT platform for data supply to newsagents. It is our practical experience in running newsagencies that no other newsagency software comp[any can speak to.

Plenty of XchangeIT enhancements have been tested in the newsagencies owned and run by Tower prior to the sale of the Tower business one year ago. Today, the company has access to a network of newsagencies for professional beta testing for XchangeIT / POS software integration enhancements.

If  you are looking for a newsagency software solution that partners with XchangeIT, Tower Systems is the software most widely used. This is the software most recommended.

The newsagency software from Tower Systems is key to helping newsagents run more current and successful retail businesses, to efficiently manage data relating to magazine supply and return.

From differentiating and local-business tuned loyalty facilities to tools that nurture community group support to time saving supplier integrations to easy online selling, the Tower Systems newsagency software plays a vital role in guiding greater success for the 1,800+ newsagents who have chopped the Tower Systems newsagency software.

This software for newsagents is designed with newsagents, to serve specific needs newsagents have in their businesses. It serve us valuable business insights designed to maximise opportunities for newsagent business owners and employees.

While XchangeIT partners with various providers, Tower Systems stands out as the most widely used and recommended Point of Sale software for managing magazine supply and returns, supporting over 1,800 newsagents. Tower  specialists were instrumental in defining the industry’s data standards, giving us a depth of integration knowledge that is unmatched in the market. We leverage this unique position, backed by practical retail experience and a dedicated network for beta testing—to actively trial enhancements and assist suppliers, ensuring a seamless data relationship for our users. Beyond efficient magazine management, Tower Systems is designed specifically for newsagents, offering powerful tools for local loyalty, community engagement, and online selling to help you run a more modern, profitable, and successful retail business.

…
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.

2 likes
newsagent software

Agentic AI innovation delivering efficiency for Australian newsagents

There is currently a ton of noise regarding Agentic AI. While much of the technology sector discusses future potential, Tower Systems, the newsagency software company I founded,  is focused on practical actions.

Tower already delivers Agentic AI capabilities specifically for newsagents. It’;s in the newsagency software now and it’s a business operations game changer.

Defining Agentic AI for the newsagency channel

The term Agentic AI refers to intelligent systems designed to take autonomous, goal-oriented actions.

Newsagents can identify Agentic AI where multiple tasks, which previously required individual management, are rolled into a single workflow undertaken without manual effort. This facility in the Tower Systems newsagency software can be seen as Agentic AI in action for a newsagency business.

Tower Systems has delivered outcomes for small business retailers that fit this definition. One example is this capability in early 2025.

Agentic AI in Practice: Automatic Ordering

Tower Systems released an Automatic Order feature that allows newsagents to schedule regular supplier orders using specific stock reorder logic.

The software allows business owners to setup specific suppliers to automatically create orders for products. This is done using the Stock Reorder-desired levels process (min/max quantities) or by forecasting the order quantities based on sales records.

When Automatic Ordering is enabled and properly configured, the Retailer software generates supplier orders for the relevant products at the specified frequency. The system acts on behalf of the newsagent to ensure the order is ready to be sent out.

How it helps newsagents manage stock

The system offers flexibility to suit different supplier relationships and management styles often found in the newsagency channel.

  • Flexible Scheduling: Newsagents can set the frequency to Daily, Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly, or Yearly.

  • Intelligent Forecasting: Users can choose a ‘Forecast’ method that generates reorder quantities based on the sales record for the item and an estimate of what is needed for the coming period.

  • Context Aware: The system can be instructed to calculate quantities based on desired levels while accounting for stock already on pending or sent orders.

Once configured, the software takes over the responsibility. The first order will generate approximately an hour from when the Auto Order is first activated, with subsequent orders following the set schedule.

Actionable outcomes

This innovation is not just about saving administrative time. It is about removing the mental load of remembering to check stock levels for routine items.

There is solid evidence of lost revenue due to stock not being on hand when people want to purchase. A common reason for stock not being unhand is that it was not ordered on time.

When the system generates an order, a notification appears in the Notification button at the top of the main Retailer screen and the POS screen. The newsagent simply clicks the notification to open the supplier order in the Orders Maintenance screen for review.

This workflow helps you miss reorder opportunities, it gets stock on the shelves for when people want it.

By utilising these tools, newsagents allow the Tower Systems software to act as a functional agent for their business. This drives efficiency and ensures critical stock replenishment cycles are never missed.

…
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.

3 likes
newsagent software

Opportunities for Aussie newsagents in these weeks before Christmas

With traffic increasing as we get closer to Christmas, now is the time for new and infrequent visitors to see your business.

  1. Make sure the front third of your shop pops and looks unlike a traditional newsagency. You want people to say wow, this is different or didn’t this used to be a newsagency? or similar. Them noticing the difference relies on you making it different.
  2. Reset the counter. Make it nothing like what’s usual for you or what people expect from a newsagency.  M a k e   a   s t a t e m e n t.  You want people to notice.
  3. Invite them back. Use discount vouchers or some other mechanic that offers a benefit for them shopping with you again soon.
  4. Drive a deeper basket. While they may visit for a Christmas card and / or wrapping paper, have products strategically placed to achieve a deeper basket.
  5. Be responsible. The extent success of Christmas in your shop is 100% up to you, choices you made months ago and in-store execution you decide today and tomorrow.

Don’t be a retailer who looks back on Christmas 2025 saying it was flat or down as if it’s an economy thing or a seasonal thing. The success of Christmas in your newsagency is 100% on you and while it can now feel too late, doing something right now is better than doing nothing at all, even if you don’t have the right product you now want.

So, what are you doing to make the most of the extra traffic? This type of work doesn’t take long. It’s easy to do. And, you can usually do it with what you have. The key is to approach it not as a newsagent.

A critical element of this Christmas push is to ensure your team is trained and empowered to leverage these changes, not just to process sales, but to actively engage.

Get in an hour early or stay an hour late and do the best you can.

Looking back after Christmas and wishing the numbers looked better is too late.

…
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.

4 likes
Uncategorized

Newsagency Benchmark Report: My Take on November 2025 Sales Trends

I’m pleased to share the latest newsagency sales benchmark results for the Australian newsagency channel, covering performance up to the end of November 2025. For two and a half decades, my approach has always been to analyse data without emotion, sticking strictly to the facts to give you a clear picture of the state of our channel.

This latest report draws on data from a diverse mix of independent shops and businesses across various banners, allowing us to provide a genuinely representative analysis of key trends in turnover, unit sales, and category growth. This evidence-based approach is, in my view, the most reliable way to help newsagents navigate the significant changes occurring in our industry.

Key Insights from the Data

I was particularly pleased to see greeting card sales show a solid performance heading into the busy season. Unit sales are up approximately 8%, which has translated into strong revenue growth of between 12% and 15%. Crucially, Christmas card sales are showing specific strength, jumping 15–20% year-on-year.

We are also witnessing a positive moment in the magazine category. Unit sales are up 1–2%, a shift driven largely by special interest titles, crosswords, and motoring publications, proving that targeted content still holds real value for your customers.

Looking at general retail, the growth in higher-value items continues to impress. Plush items and toys are seeing significant sales increases, up over 20%, and books and giftware continue to perform well for stores stocking these ranges.

The Successful Business Transition

While traditional categories like newspapers and stationery continue to experience declines, this highlights the successful business transition that many of you are undertaking. We have found that while overall transaction counts have decreased by around 5%, the average sale value has risen a substantial 15–25%.

This is a powerful indication that stores are successfully moving away from a high-volume, low-margin model—historically defined by lottery and newspapers—towards a higher-value, retail-focused business.

Refining Your Strategy for 2026

Ultimately, these figures clearly demonstrate that while the newsagency model is evolving, significant opportunities remain for those willing to adapt. By shifting your focus towards high-margin categories and closely monitoring your local customer demand, you can effectively mitigate the decline in legacy products.

I strongly encourage every newsagency owner to review their own data using tools like the Tower software’s monthly sales comparison report. By analysing these figures alongside the benchmarks, you can identify opportunities to pivot your product mix and position your business for a successful 2026.

If you have any questions about interpreting these figures or would like to discuss how your business compares, please feel free to reach out to the newsXpress team, or contact me directly at mark@newsxpress.com.au. Let’s succeed together.

…

newsXpress is a marketing group that supports small local independent retailers to thrive. Find out more at help@newsxpress.com.au.

12 likes
newsagency of the future

Shop for your Christmas cards at your local newsagency and here’s why

Here my 5 top reasons to shop for Christmas cards at your local newsagency:

  1. Aussie made. You’re more likely to find Aussie made Christmas cards in a newsagency.
  2. Aussie designed. You’re more likely to find Aussie designed Christmas cards. You know, there are some card companies that pitch Aussie designed when they take an overseas design and make a small change and claim Australian designed!
  3. Best range of Christmas cards. Your local newsagency likely has a better range than pretty much any other retailer.
  4. Local charity support. Plenty of card purchases in local Aussie newsagencies support local charities.
  5. It all stays local. Local businesses are locally owned, meaning what you pay is more likely to stay local and benefit local.

So, ignore big retailers with their cheap, generic and likely printed overseas Christmas cards. Go local because you’re local and local is important.

Shopping local fuels the local economic engine. When you purchase a card from a local newsagent, you are stimulating the local economy in a powerful way. Money spent locally stays locally. It helps pay the wages of the staff members you see behind the counter, people who are often your neighbours, friends, or local students getting their start in the workforce. By keeping money within the community, you are helping to foster a vibrant business environment and preserving the unique character of our neighbourhood.

Take a look at the back of the cards. See where they are made. Many local newsagencies proudly champion Australian-made products. When you choose an Australian-made card, you’re putting Aussies to work. You are supporting the talented card designers, writers, printers, and the card finishers. 

Newsagents offer a curated selection that you won’t find in the generic aisles of a supermarket. From funny to heartfelt, and from traditional to modern, our range is selected with our specific community in mind. Plus, we are known for convenience. 

Your local newsagency is a vital business that relies on the support of locals like you to survive and thrive. When you choose to shop here, you are contributing to the cultural heritage of your town. You are ensuring that small, family-run businesses remain a fixture of our streets.

The choice you make to shop with us is one for which everyone who relies on this business is deeply grateful. So, this Christmas, let’s spread some cheer and shop local. When you shop local, you’re making a difference, because we’re making a difference.

8 likes
Greeting Cards

Don’t fall for this lazy marketing trap from a supplier dangling a bag of cash

A big supplier dumps hundreds of thousands of dollars on a small retailer to win their business across a few shops and lock them in long-term.

The retailer gets the cash, which is their prime focus. There is no consideration as to whether the products they are locked in to taking are best for their situation, no thought about the money they will make over the contract period. The decision was about the ‘free’ cash today.

When a supplier uses their cash to buy real estate in an independent retail store, they are effectively saying, “Our product is not strong enough to hold this shelf on its own against the competition, so we are going to pay to have the competition removed.”

This is lazy marketing. It prioritises the supplier’s desire for guaranteed volume over the retailer’s need for agility. Independent retailers survive by being different, by pivoting quickly to trends, and by offering what the big box stores can’t.

When you lock a small business into a long-term supply contract, you strip them of their agility. You homogenise their offering. You turn a local indie retailer into a static franchise outlet for your brand, often without them realising it until it’s too late.

It hurts the ecosystem. This “checkbook strategy” stifles what keeps local retail alive: innovation. When shelf space is sold to the highest bidder rather than the best product, smaller local makers, who often drive actual trends, are locked out.

The retailer loses access to better-selling, higher-margin products. The customer loses access to variety. The only winner is the big supplier who secured five years of guaranteed revenue without having to actually compete.

Now, to suppliers doing this: If you believe in your product, let it fight for its place on the shelf. Win the retailer’s loyalty through turnover, margin, and service, not by handcuffing them with a contract they signed when you dangled a bag of cash.

Stop buying market share. Start earning it.

To newsagents: that bag of cash does not have the value you may think it has. The best value you can achieve for your business and those who rel;y on it is from products that sell, turning faster than usual and delivering a grown profit % that is best-practice.

12 likes
Ethics

Mumbrella shines a light on magazines, Are Media and newsagents

I am grateful to Mumbrella and James Manning for the opportunity to talk magazines, newsagents and Are Media. What a buyer needs to know about Are Media and the future of magazines canvasses these topics and more. I am particularly grateful for the opportunity to explore why we are seeing some newsagencies close.

The best person to speak about what any new owner of Are Media would need to grasp is Mark Fletcher. The industry blogger, retail newsagent, owner of marketing group newsXpress and retail software developer understands as much as anybody about the place magazines occupy in Australia.

Fletcher said that his former retail software business, where he still consults, has about 1,900 newsagents as customers. Although he couldn’t put a figure on the number of newsagency closures, he did say the rate of closures had increased in 2025.

“When a newsagent can’t sell their business they will often just close it,” he told Mumbrella.

Fletcher has long been an advocate for newsagents to be less reliant on newspapers and magazines. While they still bring valuable foot traffic, newsagents need other attractions.

“If you look at a newsagency that is relying on newspapers, magazines, stationery and lotteries as a big chunk of their income, those businesses are dead, they have no future.”

Fletcher has always been prepared to share learnings from the newsagencies he has owned over the years.

In addition to detailing how his newsagency at Malvern in suburban Melbourne performs, he collates industry data from a number of other retailers.

“Depending on where a retailer is, newspaper unit sales are down about 11% year-on-year. Magazines are having a good year, special interest titles are up 10 or 12%. The weeklies and the major monthlies are down, but we expect that.”

In his own agency, Fletcher reported magazine turnover of $400,000 a year in magazines. “It’s a very strong area for magazines.”

Many newsagents are putting magazines at the back of the shop because they only offer a 25% margin. Fletcher noted that doesn’t help their sales.

“Retailers that are closing are the traditional ones – places that have not transformed their businesses.”

Fletcher says these are newsagents who have not combined traditional newspaper and magazine sales with a broad range of products that offer better margins.

“The biggest categories of growth right now are coffee, books and games of all things — not things like Monopoly — but unusual games which are really having a moment in the sun.”

I am also grateful we got to talk about opportunities we could explore with a new owner of Are Media.

Culling Are Media titles, giving better retail margins

Fletcher said he understands why Are Media keeps a broad range of titles.

“But I would think that somebody acquiring the business would look across that portfolio and ask, is there a rationalisation we can go through here that creates a more efficient mix of products?

“Newsagents make 25% gross profit from every magazine title, but pretty much anything else in their business outside of lotteries has a 50% margin. Any new Are Media owner would have to look at the magazine commission structure.

“At present newsagents can’t control what they get. If you trusted a retailer enough to give them control over what titles they got and the quantity they got, you would see sales increases.”

Too often news outlets, I’m looking at you ABC news, Nine Media and News Corp, fail at basic journalism when writing about newsagents. James Manning did a terrific job here exploring the reality newsagents and print media folks face and talking through opportunities that could benefit all.

The reality is: engagement with print has changed and continues to change. Why people buy newspapers and magazines has changed. Whereas in the past people would buy newspapers and weeklies as their first source of news (hard and soft), today, such purchases are more likely to pass the time since the first source was available in their hands long before the print product started running off the presses.

Now, special interest magazines have never carried news as such, or at least news associated with urgency or timeliness. I think this is one reason sales remain strong for them. The other reason, of course, is that people are buying what they love and in engagement with special interest categories is rooted in passion.

I hope Are Media finds a good home that respects the committed and talented people in the business. If I was the new owner, that’s where I’d start – with the people, exploring with them new opportunities that leverage their expertise.

Now if you’re a newsagent and reading this – first up on getting this far. Second, don’t give up on magazines, don’t act to kill them off. rather, leverage what;s working and the success of others to find ways for magazines to be more valuable to your business.

17 likes
magazines

$1 a month for the Herald Sun digital subscription

$1 a month for the first 2 months for the Herald Sun. Then, $17 charged monthly for 3 months, after which it automatically renews to $34 monthly.

Compare the $1 a month to the cost of the dying print product. You can see their focus is on digital scrscribers.

Now, if you;re enticed by the $1 a month, in my experience, cancelling a News Corp subscription is time consuming with plenty of barriers to jump. So, beware!

3 likes
Newspapers

Advice for newsagents considering websites for their businesses

In my work with Tower Systems, I am often asked this question by small business retailers: What’s the best website platform for a small retail business Wix, Shopify, Woo Commerce or Squarespace?

I  years of experience using websites in my shops and advising Tower customers about  websites using Shopify, Magento, Big Commerce and WooCommerce. Recently, I’ve had more questions asking to compare Wix, Shopify, Woo Commerce or Squarespace.

Below are my thoughts, which I wrote this morning for the Tower Systems POS software blog. This advice is relevant to newsagents considering a website for their business. Now, here is the advice:

The advice we provide in this article is based on our years of experience serving thousands of small business retailers.

The best e-commerce platform for your business will depend on your technical experience, your budget, your position in your online journey and the goals you have for your website. Each of these platforms offers different benefits. from the outset, though, in our experience, Shopify is the best solution for easy of use, ease of change without technical skills, the ability to scale and ease of winning shoppers from the already considerable Shopify customer ecosystem.

Wix offers easy drag and drop, which can see like a big time saver for the novice. In reality, Wix websites can often become messy, overloaded. It can be a good platform to figure out what you want but our experience is that it’s not ideal once you are up and running and building your online business. We think it’s unlikely you’ll find hero websites for small business retailers based on Wix. If you need a site up in an hour and want total freedom to drag things around the screen, Wix could be a good choice today.

WooCommerce is a plugin for WordPress. It’s made for use by technically skilled people. You do the work, and once you;’ve done that you will tend to have to do more work. This tech work can distract you from running your retail business. Woo is terrifically flexible, which comes as a labour cost for you or for the web developer you hire. If you already have a WordPress site and want to avoid monthly subscription fees, this offers the most freedom, provided you have the technical skills and truckloads of time to manage it.

Squarespace is offers beautiful looking websites with an easy to use back end for adjustment. It’s heavily image-focused. You can’t “break” a Squarespace site as easily as a Wix site because the editor forces you to stay within a grid. Squarspace lacks some of the finesse of Shopiufy for businesses that need more, especially when it comes to shipping flexibility. fI selling “the vibe” is as important as selling the product, Squarespace might be your answer.

Shopify is the best solution for local small business retailers in our experience. Shopify themes make it easy for you to change the look and feel of your website without hiring a web developer. Shopify integrates with terrific local shipping options (Sendle, My Post Business etc) and Shopify validates Australian addresses incredibly well at checkout, which saves you money on “return to sender” errors. It is the industry standard for a reason. If your goal is to grow, Shopify handles the “boring” stuff (hosting, security, checkout compliance) better than anyone in our experience.

We have years of experience using Shopify ourselves – when we offer advice to retailers on e-commerce, it comes from a place of personal experience as well as extensive technical experience and years building Shopify websites for so many different retailers.

Now, we’re not saying Wix, Squarespace and WooCommerce are bad. What you choose for your business needs to be what you want/need.

What we are saying is do your research – choose the ecommerce platform that serves your technical skills, budget, business plans and how you see your business living online.

Low cost websites may be low cost because of the work you have to do to manage and modify them.

Fast to setup websites may be fast because they don’t go as deep within your business.

Key to success is you knowing what it is that you want / need for yourself and for your business. Saying you want a website is not enough. What do you want from it?

Take your time. Figure out what you need, want and can afford. Look at examples of websites for your type of business. Consider web developers local to you, people who understand your business, people you can speak with. Ask why they recommend what they recommend.

We recommend Shopify for speed to launch, ease of change, non technical back end management, ease of scale, wonderful integrations and access to a huge ecosystem of shoppers. It’s what we use and what many of our local small business retail customers use.

Web development is unregulated. Be careful. There are some who know the words to say to dazzle less technically literate folks into spending money with them only to never deliver what the business wants / needs. Get any promises in writing – including delivery timing and website functionality.

Be sure you know the business you are dealing with. Often, we developers are not local as they may pitch.

Do your due diligence before you sign any contract or pay any money. We’ll say again: take your time.

This decision rests entirely on your business’s ultimate ambition. If you view your online store as a serious, scalable retail channel, one that you need to easily manage alongside your physical operations, integrates effortlessly with local logistics, and provides a reliable, secure foundation that won’t require a developer every time you want to make a change, then Shopify is our recommended investment.

While Wix and Squarespace offer beautiful simplicity for the start-up, and WooCommerce offers technical control, Shopify is purpose-built for the commercial rigor of a growing retail business, offering the best balance of ease-of-use, power, and a vast ecosystem of apps and support designed to help Australian retailers move more stock with less technical overhead.

Shopify is a good small business e-commerce solution, which can grow as you grow. We had one customer using Shopify go from $50,000 in their launch year to $2.5 million by year four. The growth came from their smart business decisions. Shopify made it easy to manage the growth.

…

If you are considering a website for your retail business, consider Tower Systems. Call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand. Or, email sales@towersystems.com.au. If we feel we are not right for you, we will say so.

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Newsagency management

If your social media content is not delivering new shoppers, it’s time to fix your content

There is no shortage of people and organisations offering to manage your social media content. It can feel like an easy decision to say yes, and give them the keys to generating shopper traffic for you. They promise consistency and visibility with zero effort from you.

It sounds like a lifeline. In reality, it’s a waste of time.

Here is the hard truth about social media marketing for local businesses: being in someone’s news feed has no value unless they value your content.

Generic, canned posts, the kind that could belong to any shop, anywhere, are “noise.” People scroll right past it.

The “Big Business” Trap We often look at huge national chains and see their generic marketing. It seems to work for them, so why not us?

But big business marketing is designed to make hundreds of stores look exactly the same. That is the opposite of your strength. No two independent newsagents in Australia are the same. Your shop has its own personality, its own community, and its own vibe.

Standardised posts strip away the very thing that makes you special.

Posting a generic photo pitching a magazine, lottery game or an item of stationery is a loser move.

These product categories only become valuable content when you post about them in a way that is unique, useful, or entertaining. You need to inject your perspective into what you sell.

  • Don’t just post a picture of a new cookbook; share your attempt at making a recipe from it (even if it failed!).
  • Don’t just post a picture of a card; make your post personal.

The best social media posts for your business come from you, about your business. To stop people from scrolling, your posts need to be:

  • Personal: Show the faces behind the counter.
  • Knowledgeable: Share tips or insights about your products that only you know.
  • Local: Inform your followers about community events or local news.
  • Fun: Don’t be afraid to be entertaining or self-deprecating.

I understand time is short. You might feel you aren’t “creative” enough to invest time in social media.

There is no shortcut for better social media posts. You must do the work. You must put in the time to make it work for you.

There are plenty of old assumptions made about the local Aussie newsagency. How you engage on social media is vital to changing how people see your business in the modern era. Take this as a challenge and an opportunity to find your voice.

If someone else or some other organisation, like your marketing group controls your social media posts, stop. Take control. It’s your business.

Footnote: I have looked. today at more than 50 Facebook pages for newsagencies across different banners as well as independent. The majority are wasting their Facebook engagement and I suspect this is resulting in no net new traffic being attracted. What a waste.

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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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marketing tip

Charity boxed Christmas card sales up in 2025

I am seeing terrific growth in charity boxed Christmas cards already this year. Retailers who have ranged well and leant into the charity aspect of these products should be up by double-digits over 2024.

For plenty of shoppers, the charity being supported is more important than card design. I see this especially in online sales. Shoppers are actively seeking ways to ensure their spending makes a positive impact. By featuring charity-supporting card boxes, you instantly elevate your store’s appeal. That’s supported in the sales data.

I’ve seen people buy 8, 10 and 12 boxes supporting a single charity. Some only buy 2 boxes – often of the same charity too. People buy by charity usually because on a personal connection. It’s wonderful hearing the stories.

The Christmas customer embraces the opportunity of positive impact when it presents. With charity boxed Christmas cards, the message is simple:

  • Every box sold contributes funds directly to vital causes. This emotional connection makes the purchase inherently more valuable to the consumer than a standard card box.

  • You appeal to the desire for corporate and personal generosity during the season of goodwill, attracting a broader customer base interested in ethical and meaningful purchases.

Range of support is key.

In my businesses, we offer collections that support incredible work across:

  • Health & Research: Including foundations focused on cancer, dementia, breast cancer, prostate health, and mental wellness (e.g., Beyond Blue, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Foundation, NBCF, etc.).

  • Vulnerable Populations: Dedicated to supporting children, young people, and families in need (e.g., Kids Helpline, Starlight Children’s Foundation, Make-A-Wish, etc.).

This diverse support network turns your card display into a powerful platform for community contribution.

This all supports the reputation we nurture. Stocking charity cards is a strong demonstration of your business’s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

  • It reflects well on your brand, signalling a shared value system with your customers.

  • Many charity collections feature beautiful, high-quality designs, including those with Australian themes and sustainable printing, ensuring you don’t compromise on product excellence.

My advice is: make your card section a destination for shoppers who want to share cheer while simultaneously making a difference. The choice to stock charity boxed Christmas cards is a simple yet powerful strategy to boost sales, enhance customer loyalty, and align your business with the true spirit of giving.

Now, for clarity and transparency, in one of my businesses we will will do tens of thousands of dollars in charity boxed Christmas cards this year.

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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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Greeting Cards
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