The Herald Sun in Melbourne sells for $1.00 Monday to Friday. Indeed all News Ltd. capital city titles sell for $1.00 Monday to Friday. The Herald Sun has been $1.00 for around seven years. This gives newsagents 25 cents from each sale. This commission structure has not changed in decades. The 25 cents goes toward operating costs, labour, marketing, shrinkage and profit.
With average retail space lease costs at around 11%; labour at 11%; overheads at 5%; shrinkage at 3% there is nothing left.
Newsagents have been hit by annual wages rises, a dramatic increase in fuel costs and considerable lease rises over the last ten years.
Newsagents need to be treated like partners. It is unreasonable to hold back the cover price and refuse fuel price relief and thereby not allow newsagents to pass on the significant cost increases their businesses have been hit with over the years.
I hear that Qantas is about to up one or more of its fuel levies. Indeed I am sure that News is covered in its own pricing model.
Newsagents are powerless here in an unfair way.