I hate these newspapers. That’s what I heard a Gloria Jeans store manager say earlier this week. I told her I was a newsagent and was curious about her comment. It appears that no amount of signs and other devices used to stop customers picking up a newspaper and browsing works. The comment I heard was being made when she picked up a couple of papers and put them back in the for sale rack. When I suggested she push her feeling back through the company she said they would not listen.
By making newspapers available for easy browsing in these coffee shops I suspect that some sales are being lost. At the very least they should be put into units which stop customers easily taking a paper to their table to read.
Our local GJ gave papers the flick about a year ago citing the same reasons and have not had them back since The various paper sections were strewn around the shop, some sections missing as well as coffee spills and pieces torn out of them. In my view it gives GJ the McDonalds feel to the GJ experience which is something these proactive owners did not want.
Having said that reading a newsapaper with your coffee is a desirable experience. Perhaps it would be too idealistic for a customer to buy their own copy from a newsagent and enjoy it with their coffee?
If I go into a cafe of any kind I expect the newspaper to be complimentary for me to read while I am in there. I think it is very presumptuous to expect the customer to have to buy a newspaper to read while having their coffee.
Why not go one further Bob, and demand you get the coffee and cake for free as well?
The Gloria Jeans outlet I visited has a free newspaper. Their complaint was with customers reading papers in the stand which is clearly labelled that the papers are for purchase only.
John, you go to a cafe for the coffee and cake, not the newspapers, so I am happy to pay for them. Having newspapers to read is good service which keeps people coming back (or staying longer). I assume you chase out of your shop as soon as you have their money.
John, you go to a cafe for the coffee and cake, not the newspapers, so I am happy to pay for them. Having newspapers to read is good service which keeps people coming back (or staying longer). I assume you chase out of your shop as soon as you have their money.
Mark, if they have free newspapers as well as newspapers to purchase it seems like a location issue. Maybe the purchase newspapers shouldn’t be located right where people are waiting to get their coffee or they obviously are going to pick them up and browse.
Bob, not at all, it’s just a sore point.Had/have a subagent that was your bog standard bakery until fairly recently, when they had a MAJOR reno and went to the bakery/cafe model. Over the course of a couple of weeks, sales at this subagent plummeted some 90%, because people were, and still are, being allowed to have a free read without buying.Made for some difficult questions from my boss.
Owner of this subagent has similiar – identical- views to you on this issue .My requests for several hundred nenish tarts daily,free of charge, to give away to my customers at the newsagency have so far not been fulfilled, and he has no desire to take any action within his shop to fix the issue. I have been into this cafe at lunchtime, there have been no papers on the stand,plenty at tables and yet the next morning tney have significant returns in a shocking state as described by Angelo above.
You see what I’m getting at? They are happy to have someone else provide a service that benefits them, but are not concerned of the effect on others.We are not talking trivial amounts here, this subagent used to have a weekly bill of several thousand dollars.Nowhere near that now.
The problem however will soon be fixed.My boss has instructed me to cut them back to sales history plus 5% for each day of the week,to monitor and to let him know when SALES fall below a certain point.This won’t be long.I suspect he will then cancel the subagent agreement, as the resources can be better utilised elsewhere.
Also Bob, you “go to a cafe for the coffee and cake, not the newspapers”, but you still expect there to be a complimentary newspaper? Talk about having your cake and eating it!
I work in a GJ’s and there is a customer that comes in every lunch time, with a coffee from another coffee shop, then reads the newspaper (which is meant to be purchased) and leaves it strewn across the table with his empty coffee cup for us to dispose of. I suppose we should be thankful he doesn’t walk out with the paper…