Lack of compliance and consistency across the retail newsagency channel is our biggest challenge. In Sydney yesterday, I saw another newsagency with the Bill Express light box still up and working. It is situations like this which invite suppliers to look outside our channel for a more consistent and disciplined network of retailers.
UPDATE (23/02): I was in a JB HiFi store today which had a DialTime light box on display. On the side was a note: Not working. I take back what I said about newsagentx and compliance.
I’ve taken ours down to collect dust with the other BE equipment in my back room.
I think getting a white board marker and discreetly markeing over the BE and Dialtime logos is better than just leaving it how it is.
Mark also has put a template up on selling “phone recharge here” or something of the like which could be sticky taped onto it to cover it.
Taking it down almost requires three hands. If it’s on a suspended roof you first have to:
1. Push the sectional sheet with the power lead up into the roof.
2. Unplug the power which is just like and extention lead.
3. Unscrew the two screws anti-clockwise, after the first screw is out you’ll need your third hand or a helper to support the box while uncrewing the last screw.
4. Put in back room and don’t give it to anyone until the hole for the power lead in the sheet has been repaired/replaced.
I hope this helps anyone who still has it up.
I’m using mine for other stuff!
Put two additional lugs on the ‘side’ so that you can use it in portrait or landscape mode. Then get to work with your team and design some nice stuff to go in there. It also works well as a partworks promoter!
Great work Brett!!! LOL
I am a sub and i have noticed that in my newsagents window is still a hanging sign with a fluoro light inside….it seems like this is only hanging up by 2 chains and a powercord….not too hard to take down but it looks very old and obviously obsolete.
Daniel;
You desrve to be given Full Newsagency Status if that what your Newsagent is doing 🙂
Vaughan….if only I could be (although by the sounds of it, there may be less stress as a sub!) I am at least 15 minutes drive from my newsagent (I’m out of town) and they won’t give me extra mags such as Women’s Weekly without reason. I wouldn;t be taking their business….just adding extra but they don’t want to hear it!
On the other hand when we go out of our way to get stock to one of my subs I still get whinged at. I recently received stock 2 1/2 weeks late that had been stitting the other side of the Ingham floods. I did my best to get some stock to the sub even though we were still sorting . I delivered this at 7.30pm, I had not even had my tea let alone been home – but it was not all the stock they were supposed to get etc… To top it off all G&G, Ndc say we have to top and return all the old weeklies. Network haven’t even responded to my email and you can’t get passed the call centre who just rattled off standard procedure to me. They know we have not been able to sell any so why not just credit them and let us dispose of them. We have not made a cent out of them and now have to pay staff to return them and pay to dump them. Carol
Daniel I’m in a similar boat to you. I’m about 10 kms from my agent and would make him a lot of money if he supplied me sufficiently. I haven’t checked but he probably has the BE sign up too!!!
There should be some official criteria made so businesses like yours and mine can go full more easily, rather than stay stagnant. I’ve read some where you need to have at least 230 magazine pockets to be considered a magazine specialist – I have over 700 and am still a sub.
Carol, your a good newsagent, if I was a sub to you, and all the other contributers here I’d be happy remaining a sub with mags.
Hi Mark,
I was at the Gift Fair and saw the Bill Express sign as well. That newsagency was the best of the four I viewed in my short time in Sydney. I managed to go to the Pitt street Mall, Patty’s market and Circular Key and I have to say all newsagents I saw were a disgrace to our industry. No customer service, no uniforms, poorly maintained and stocked stores, no general appeal to go to them.
Being out of town I was expecting a newsagency on every corner but they were few and far between. Is that the normal or just inner sydney. It appears that the need for full newsagencies in inner sydney is defunct. Is that the case?