We are seeing excellent diary sales this year compared to last, from the beginning of the diary season, almost two months ago, we have been ahead in sales on last year. We have kept promotion of diaries on the move, most recently promoting the category in the window which was home to our Christmas display. While this year’s success builds on previous years of growth, the numbers we are seeing already make it a stand-out. This has a lot to do with good in-store management of the range, display and customer service.
Diaries are a category in which newsagents can excel as they permit us to demonstrate our commitment to customer service compared to Officeworks, Big W and others playing in this space. They muck it up by offering house brands and poor customer service. House brands don;t work in the diary space – not for the majority of customers.
People who rely on getting the right diary are more likely to be let down by these bigger competitors.