The Government owned 863 Post Offices have launched a stationery sale using this flyer. Nowhere is it promoting postal products. This flyer directly targets small business newsagents who rely on back to school / back to work promotions to kick start stationery sales for the year.
It is offensive that this Government owned business so aggressively and relentlessly targets small businesses in this way. It is even more offensive that the Minister responsible, Senator Helen Coonan, refuses to even talk about the millions of dollars in sales Australia Post is ripping out of the newsagency channel. Instead, she responds to queries with letters way off topic. My last letter still awaits a response.
My newsagency is directly opposite a Government owned Australia Post shop. They are taking stationery sales from us. They do this by abusing their monopoly privilege around postal products and promoting traditional newsagent stationery lines. I do not have exclusive traffic to leverage off. I do not have their marketing budget. I do not have a government protecting me.
For all its bluster about deregulation and competition, when it comes to Australia Post the Government is looking after its mates.
Newsagents, their families and their employees are the losers as a result of Government failure on small business policy.
I personally dont have a problem with Aus Post stores selling stationary products … but only if those store are franchised out to people. As for the government owned store, well its a typical reflection on our current government.
They are abusing not only their monopoly privelage but the economies of scale that stem from that. Deregulation and competition is inevidable, but it has to operate on all fronts, on a fair and level playing field. It has a long way to go.
It will be interesting to see, among others, the Labour party’s small business policies at the next federal election. Lets hope they take a strong stance for small retail business as they have on manufacturing.
I agree re the differentiation Jarryd – franchised stores are fine by me. It’s these 863 government owned stores which are the problem.