I am contacted at least once a week by a stationery supplier looking to get their product into the newsagency channel. Most have a story to tell about the challenges of dealing with the gatekeepers they encounter – stationery wholesalers, associations and marketing groups. The issues are either about refusal to carry a complete range, the cost of access, the challenges of 4,500 managing directors or other hurdles.
While some of the blocks are reasonable and do stop suppliers newsagents are better off without, there are some products which newsagents would like to stock and some complete ranges newsagents would like to stock.
For what it is worth, here are my suggestions for stationery suppliers looking to get gain access to the newsagency channel:
- Do your homework. Develop a sound commercial case showing how newsagents benefit.
- Back your claims with an investment in the channel – too many products seek to leech off the traffic already coming to newsagencies. If you don’t plan to invest in driving traffic to newsagents supporting your product why should they take the range?
- Use the road to newsagents which delivers the maximum return to them – including direct accounts with newsagents.
- Help newsagents compete. Too often suppliers use newsagents and with other retailers, retailers who get a better deal or receive compensation for displays and counter space.
- Price for newsagents as a complete channel and not as individual small businesses.
- Newsagents are starting to realise that sale or return is not always a good deal.
With fewer newsagents doing cash and carry shopping, suppliers need to be smarter in how they approach the channel. Newsagents are more discerning and want surety on the return on investment they can achieve. This is why more are buying outside the traditional newsagent supply chain.