Since we started trialing this Herald Sun stand, the number of newspapers sold alone has dropped significantly. The number of newspapers sold continues to rise. We still have our main newspaper display, the unit in the photo is at our lottery counter. Lottery customers can easily impulse purchase the Herald Sun and Herald Sun customers can impulse purchase lottery product.
As the habit of newspaper purchase is further challenged, we (newspaper retailers) need to be smarter in getting customers to purchase. This stand places product front on and in a way which facilitates pick up. While it might be small point, the experts say that a consumer picking up a product is for more likely to purchase than just looking at it.
Newsagents can take the “oh, woe is me” approach and worry about the future of newspapers or then can be entrepreneurial and be smart in every decision about newspapers and grab every sale they can in this challenged marketplace. I just wish that the publishers would handsomely reward newsagents who achieve above industry average sales growth as this would encourage business like behavior by newsagents.
The display stand we are using has been provided by the Herald and Weekly Times following my approach to them with photos of similar stands I saw in the UK last year.