Comic sales are falling in newsagencies. All but the high profile comic brand franchises are in trouble from what I can see. Our range (see photo) is a third of what it used to be. The range was cut over time because sales did not justify the stock investment. We are planning to feature comics at the counter to reinforce that we are in the space but, I am not confident about this. We are also considering moving the category in search of sales.
My sense is that the demographic most interested in comics is getting satisfaction from comic like material elsewhere: online, pay TV – both mediums have grown in coverage in Australia in the years over which comics have declined.
I have checked out a couple of specialty comic stores recently and they seem to be traveling okay so the hard core consumer seems to still be active – it is at the discretionary end where sales appear soft.
Hi Mark, enjoy your musings. You are so damn right about personal service, having worked a newsagency for about 15 years from paperboy to helping out in the shop. It is all about service, and getting customer loyalty, a smile and a simple greeting takes less facial muscles than a disinterested look on the face of the assitant, as they process a purchase. Of the two local agents my my area, one inparticular hasn’t got he message and must wonder why customers patronise the supermarket across the aisle for what should be basic newsagent items. If it wasn’t for Lotto, I doubt he’d exist and it would provide another excuse for the major retailing duopoly to get thier grubby mitts on other section of the traditional newsagent core business.
Chris we need to find a way for your comments to get back to the newsagent and other newsagents like him. The majors have feedback processes yet small businesses like newsagencies tend not to.
You are right about Lotto – take that out and poor service will kill some businesses.
Mark