The ANF and some others complain that my opinion gets more attention that it should for one newsagent. Over the last two weeks I have met with more newsagents than I suspect any ANF Director has all year. I have been crisscrossing Australia participating in the Spring User Meeting Tour being run by Tower Systems. While there still another six sessions to go, I have been reflecting this morning on the considerable differences in our channel state by state yet the common challenges at the core of our businesses.
It is only when you meet with newsagents, out close to where they are, that you can get to understand the challenges and therefore start to work on practical solutions. The ANF ought to run sessions like Tower is currently running. By the time we are done we will have meet with five or six times the number of newsagents who attended the ANF conference earlier this year.
Newsagents tell me they want the fundamental issues resolved. Issues such as the magazine supply model. This is why when I blog here I blog on a representative basis and not so much as an individual. It is why when I complain about an issue I would prefer to see a channel-wide solution and not just a fix for me. Some of our suppliers are very good at fixing the squeaky wheel and not the systemic problem.
The best way for the ANF to address its concerns about this blog and my opinions is to get in front of newsagents, to talk about the issues which matter and to take a stand. The magazine supply model is the best starting point. The difference in the value to our businesses of the top 200 titles is compared to the rest is extraordinary yet we and others who represent us have failed for years to address this imblance.
Once the series is done and the last flight completed I plan to write a brief state of the channel report, based on feedback from newsagents I have meet on the tour.
I took the photo at our meeting in Adelaide yesterday. In South Australia, Tower Systems serves well over 100 newsagents. Nationally, we serve over 1,500.