Magazines and newspapers working together in a newsagency

Using older front-of-shop fixturing in a magazine relay this week, we were able to create what I’d rate as a reasonable magazine offer above the newspapers. Living within the needs of the business – to keep adult and sport titles near the counter and needing a place for a very small business category – we segmented the shelves above the newspapers. From the left we have blokes magazines, in the middle is business and to the right is our women’s section. Following guidelines established with the team at the newsagency, the titles in the women’s section will change through the week – the goal is to lift sales of New Idea, Woman’s Day, Take 5, That’s Life, Who, OK!, Famous, Better Homes and Australian Women’s Weekly early in the on-sale.

The women’s titles in the display are co-located here – that is, their main display is in the women’s section of the main magazine display.

The key change we brought to the display was structure which can be maintained with some simple rules.  While this may need to adjust as the business builds experience with the change, a clear structure can be maintained.

Too often, at the front of newsagencies I see confusing messages – a mixup of magazine titles which do not support each other.  While it is okay to have several categories in the one display, they need to be segmented vertically and with logic.  We need to make it easier for customers to see our offer, we need to show them what to buy.  This is best achieved by promoting titles which they know and are more likely to purchase on impulse.

Changing magazine displays or completing a full relay is a huge challenge for any newsagent.  I can understand why people resist.  For many, it is a tough task just keeping up with day to day maintenance of the sprawling magazine department – especially where you have less space than you need for the titles being sent.  This is why getting the supply back to a manageable level for your business is the right place to start.

To guide our relay choices we consider the guidelines published by the Magazine Publishers of Australia some years ago, local demographics, local sales history and gut feel.  The key is to know that the relay is not an end point.  We need to continue to evolve our magazine layout to keep it fresh and to chase every business development opportunity.