Newsagents were yesterday advised of a twenty cent price rise for the cover price for The Age, The Saturday Age and The Sunday Age newspapers. The challenge is that The Age price rise takes effect next Monday (April 18) while the other two kick in after Easter (April 30 and May 1), after the bumper edition.
By splitting the price increases in this way, Fairfax has doubled the workload for newsagents, doubled questions from customers, doubled the cost of communication and presented more opportunities for mistakes.
A publisher concerned about customer service and the workload newsagents are placed under would have applied all price increases at the same time.
While I agree that The Age could have made the increases at the same time, at least they have given us an increase.
If the Herald Sun could only do the same, then maybe we could start covering the increases in wages, rent, etc etc we have to pay for from a product that has declining sales.
With the payrises last year my payroll went up by about $2,000 per week, which has resulted in me working more hours and reducing staff to get me back to close to where I was before.
The Age’s price rise should give me back maybe $300 per week. If the Herald Sun went up 20c per day also then I could reduce my hours a little to something more reasonable.
No mention of any price rises for the SMH in NSW. Strange how both News and Fairfax believe that Victoria can handle both higher cover prices and higher delivery fees than NSW.
Actually if you’re concerned about the workload created by the staggered price increases, just put them all up on April 18. You’re the retailer – you can charge whatever you like. If you do it like this most customers won’t be aware or the staggered approach anyway. Just give the ones who complain a lollypop or a Freddo Frog to go with it.
Thank you KMc for putting a smile on my face!
Mark, since when have the Age given two shites about newsagents over recent years??
Well said Dean. Shame on News Ltd for their appalling handling of price rises over the last 15 years.
Why not generate a barcode for News ltd papers and stick it over the cover price. Call it a handling fee for being paid peanuts.