I was fortunate to spend some time with newsagents in Cairns yesterday morning at the QNF regional conference. They are a cheerful and positive bunch, focused on building their businesses. It says something about their commitment to the industry, the QNF and their businesses that so many come out for the day of business presentations and networking. It may also relate to the beautiful part of the worl in which they are located.
Talking to some of the newsagents there reminded me of the tremendous diversity across our channel. Magazines I struggle to sell in suburban Melbourne sell out for them whereas magazines they struggle I sell out of. There was a good conversation of how we are not a one size fits all channel.
With all the negativity of “newsagents are doomed” I’d be interested to find out what Newsagents think their point of difference is. We have customers that walk two suburbs, past three other newsagents, to come to our store. When asked why they say that it is our customer service that draws them in (and of course they enjoy the walk).
But with all this talk of diversifiying what is it that people thinks makes them stand out?
Customer service, for sure. The unsolicited feedback is mostly along those lines, as well as the changes we’ve made to the store overall – cleaner, brighter and cheerier. Hence the ‘new owners’ signs being still in use.
As for diversity, for us, it’s the corner-shop identity that works.
And Mark, I’m glad you mention the diversity and what a good thing it is to be not a ‘one size fits all’ channel. Yay.