This table shows the percentage of single item sales in the newsagencies included in this survey of 8,000,000 shopping baskets.
On the one hand the majority of the newsagencies are very busy. On the other, they are busy with inefficient and unsustainable business.
With 66% of newspapers in centre newsagencies sold alone one can quickly understand the implications for those businesses if newspaper sales fall due to waning interest in newspapers, competition from mobile devices providing access to news or thanks to newspapers being available in more outlets.
While I accept that many customers in centre and high street newsagencies will visit multiple times in a week and even in a day, the vast majority of business is single unit sales. This is inefficient. It also demonstrates a dependence by newsagents on what I’d call this freeway traffic to sustain their operations.
The publishers who created newsagencies (in the 1800s) would be well served in working with newsagents on this problem as would the lottery agencies who’s rules facilitate freeway access to newsagencies rather than a more retailer friendly meandering in store road which supports cross selling.
Newsagents are busy and they, in the main, don’t see the problem and therefore are not fighting with hard data to fix this problem.
I fear it will be understood by the stakeholders when it is too late.
This is a small business channel in desperate need of better data and stronger leadership to help navigate the issues not only as illustrated in this table but also the issue of tougher competition from the major chains who are out to steal the key traffic drivers to newsagencies.
I’m planning in taking the data and the message on the road to educate newsagents.