Top 10 magazine and daily newspaper sales fluctuate considerably more than the industry average in my newsagency and it’s been bothering me. My location is not that unusual and the centre not that remarkable in creating traffic fluctuations. The fluctuation was happening only among top selling products and in the same weeks for most titles. I have put in many hours pouring over data to find an answer. While I have only looked at data for the last three monthsfrom my store, the theory I am developing is that the fluctuation is caused by lottery jackpots. My sales climb commensurate with the size of the jackpot and then fall with a thud in the week when there are no jackpots. This means that the jackpot punters are either buying their magazines and newspapers elsewhere or not at all. Regardless, it means that we’re not doing enough to build the non jackpot purchase habit.
Once I have looked at data from last year for my store I’ll look at data from some other newsagencies to see if I am onto something. If my theory is right, newsagents need to act now given the lottery changes due within the next two years.