Check out this from the report by Inside Retailing yesterday about the September quarter results from Bunnings
It was not such a pretty picture in the sister operation, Officeworks, which retails stationery.
Total sales for the quarter were $361 million, up just 0.3 per cent on the corresponding period last year when the division posted a 9.9 per cent increase on the 2009 year figures.
There is no doubt from the data I am seeing that the September quarter was tough for newsagents in terms of stationery. Seeing a major in the same situation is somewhat comforting. The thing is … we need to reverse this and kick-start stationery sales outside of the once or twice a year push.
As a shareholder of GNS ( I thought it was group NEWSAGENCY supplies but now I’m not so sure) I was disappointed to read that they have offered OUR warehouses and distribution for Officechoice stationery shops to use. Again newsagent funds are being used to give a competitor a leg up, When I say newsagent funds I mean all newsagent customers that have helped build GNS and also all the small newsagents that are shareholders. Will we be receiving the same terms as officechoice customers?