We have made space for a School Holiday Fun table at the front of the shop. We’ve brought together products from various categories in the newsagency which relate to the target demographic: 5 to 12. Art products, magazines – K-Zone Total Girl and others, textas, scrap books, pads – anything likely to help with school holiday activities. Even Sudoku and other small puzzle titles.
It’s a healthy table – no candy. It’s about interaction. None of the items is on special as this is not about price. The table is a service to parent and grandparents wanting something to do with kids on holidays. We’ve skirted the table with a quick School Holiday Fun skirting which, next year with more time, we could make look more attractive.
What I like about this home grown marketing idea is that we’re promoting across the categories and doing it in a way which is focused on helping people through school holidays. It’s about customer service and being attuned to customer needs.
Memo to magazine publishers: while this may not be the sexy magazine display you’d like to see promoting your titles, it’s an example of how newsagents can tell a story with your titles as the hero and thereby demonstrate why they are retailers you ought to nurture more rather than seek competitive outlets to.
I’m proud of our School Holiday Fun table – I hope other newsagents copy it.
Your memo to magazine publishers is valid however out of interest Mark…how many newsagents do you think use this kind of initiative? Herein lies the problem. Your business is not the norm in the industry.
Ted,
I know many newsagents who take initiative like this. Okay, not every newsagents, but many. As a channel we are of more value than an aisle end at a supermarket.
Mark
As a parent, I commend these sorts of tables – especially when they have no food items.
Of course, I’d prefer not to see Total Girl or K-Zone there either, but that’s a personal preference and not what you are trying to promote 🙂
Ted,
Of course Mark’s business is not the norm for the industry. It would be in a sad state if it were.
I wouldn’t be upholding industry ‘norms’if i were you. Those newsagents who stick with every norm are not the ones who will reap the rewards of intuative retail.