The National Breast Cancer Foundation has decided to switch to Woolworths for retail distribution of their Pink Ribbon Magazine. Newsagents have happily handled the awareness and fund raising title for years. The switch to Woolworths is unfortunate is it reinforces the might of this impersonal profit focused retail giant. It also suggests a fading relevance of newsagents as the magazine specialists in the minds of all those involved in the decision and, it disrespects the work newsagents have done for breast cancer fund raising over many years.
There is not a week goes by that newsagents are not offering a badge, ribbon or other small gift in return for a charity donation. Their efforts for the Pink Ribbon program, through greeting cards, branded stationery and the magazine has raised plenty of money. Along the way newsagents have raised awareness because of their personal engagement with customers. This won’t happen at a supermarket checkout. The Breast Cancer Foundation has done their image a disservice by shunning the community newsagency. I suspect that supermarkets want the Pink Ribbon Magazine because it buys much needed social responsibility kudos.