We are not our customers. We are not our customers. We are not our customers. We are not our customers. We are not our customers. We are not our customers. We are not our customers. We are not our customers. We are not our customers. We are not our customers. We are not our customers. We are not our customers. We are not our customers. We are not our customers. We are not our customers. We are not our customers.
This is a mantra we need to play over and over in our heads as we consider new lines for our newsagencies. Too often, especially in the gift and related departments, newsagents buy to their tastes and this stops the business from speaking to its customers.
The small boxes in the photo are a good example. These overly bright things are not something I or anyone in our newsagency would purchase. When I have shown them to newsagents they say that they would not work in their shop. I felt that way too. But we tried them. They worked – turning faster than many magazines. This was an excellent example that I am not my customer.
This started me thinking about why we get gift and other buying wrong. I see the results of bad buying in the data for newsagencies from time to time – stock which turns at less than once a year.
Unlike other businesses where the owner can wholly define the business, newsagencies are controlled by many suppliers in the categories of magazines, newspapers, greeting cards and even books. We are not brought up expressing our individuality. We accept this when we buy a newsagency business. I think this is one reason we struggle with understanding about creating a point of difference.
Another reason is that we are not used to testing and letting data drive our decisions. The data is there, newsagents tend to not use it.
We need to experiment more, really push the boundary of what we can sell in our newsagencies and be guided by what our customers like. It’s their money we want after all.
We need to stop buying to our tastes. We need to buy for our customers because, often we are not our customers.
We’ve sold two trays of those since “trialling” them. I wouldn’t buy them either, but horses for courses.
I was surprised a bit when they took off.
Yep we are all different. I would buy them…..funny eh?
It would be interesting if you could generate a report of the demographics of people shopping in the mall or street where your newsagent is located and compare to the people running the newsagent. I am sure most newsagents owners don’t walk around with their pants half way down their ar$e, but it is a pretty popular thing to do. Buying to your demographics tastes not yours can only be a good thing, but is a challenge to most people I would think.
MY FIRST ATTEMPT TO PUSH A COPY OF TODAY’S 50th ISSUE OF VOGUE AUSTRALLIA WAS MEET WITH A POLITE NO THANK YOU FROM THE CUSTOMER. THE CUSTOMER RECEIVED THEIR COMPLIMENTARY COPY AT LAST FRIDAYS ‘A LIST LAUNCH I’, AM LEAD TO BELIEVE THAT NEWSAGENTS HAVE POTENTIALLY LOST SOME 900 SALES. MY FIRST TELEPHONE CALL THIS MORNING WAS FROM THE OUTER WEST OF SYDNEY STATING THAT HIS LOCAL NEWSAGENT DID NOT RECEIVE COPIES OF VOGUE.,THE CUSTOMER REQUESTED i KEEP HIM A COPY.
FOR 47 OF THOSE 50 YEARS I HAVE PUSHED VOGUE AUSTRALIA AND ITS SPIN OFF TITLES. PERHAPS I HAVE RUN OUT OF ENTHUSIAM.
Caps lock is cruise control for cool….
WHO IS THE SUPPLIER OF THESE GIFT BOXES?
M Fletcher gift ware company and associated products – available now online
Sean,
These trinket boxes are from Gibson. They also do coin purses and photo frames in a similar, colourful style. They’ve been extremely popular with young girls.
Jason
newsXpress Forest Hill
i have been guilty of not thinking outside the sqaure when it comes to gifts, hence have made poor decisions, my partner on the other hand has made choices I have rolled my eyes at, and we have sold out!! I now leave the final decision to him. some people have a knack for knowing what will move. Running ideas past your staff is a great way of judging how something will move.
We get ours from Sunbird.
hi
a general question, does any one know of a good online supplier for baby products that are reasonable in price, some times the strangist of things just walk out the door while others you think will sell just sit there, you just don’t know
Try Baby Boo from melbourne.
Chris
reservoir