Here’s an example of how newsagents are poorly served by some of their suppliers.
Today, in Hong Kong, I met representatives of company which manufacturers Wiggles products under licence. The range is ideal for newsagencies especially since we sell the Wiggles magazine. The range lends itself to the plan-a-gram approach where all stores have a consistent range and retail message. Unfortunately, our main wholesaler for this type of product does not take the range. Rather, they choose two or three items and this is all newsagents see as being available and, more often than not, pass on the products. It becomes self defeating.
This is a missed opportunity. The success of our retail channel depends on smart buying. From what I have seen today, those buying for us are not as smart as they could me. We ought to have this Wiggles range, and other ranges from the same company, and ‘own’ the space.
Our range of magazines and greeting cards opens newsagencies to demographics which we can leverage for other sales. This is where those who buy for us ought to focus their attention – on products which complement the unique newsagent demographic.
I would love to have this product on my shelves. It’s bright, captures the attention of the consumer, and we all know that it will sell it’s collective off.
We used to deal direct with a company in Melbourne that provided us with a really good range of licenced product that sold really well. The company now only deal with GNS. GNS pick the eyes out of the range and you only get a small percentage of the total range.
In an ideal world, all newsagents would commit to the total range, which would make buying very easy for the suppliers. Since we don’t live in an ideal world, it does make it very difficult for suppliers to commit to large quantities, especially knowing newsagents would do exactly what GNS are doing now with their licenced range; picking the eyes out of it.
Not sure what the answer is but i agree newsagents are missing out on an opportunity to increase basket sales with this type of product.
Vaughan
Vaughan, The key is newsagents havening access to the whole range. We rely on our suppliers for this and some are better than others. I think this is where you will find some marketing groups pull ahead of others. The days of newsagents acting commercially as one are over. Mark