Racing Grannies is part of a range of trendy / funky gifts which account for 10% of our gift product sales now. The range is not what shoppers expect to see in a newsagency so we regularly promote it at the front of the business, facing into the shopping mall. Our simple Racing Grannies display works a treat at attracting traffic and converting into sales as well as into browsers for other parts of our business.
While I think we have room to expand the trendy / funky gift range, we are not ignoring other gift niches. It’s all about balance for us – balance in what attracts shoppers so that we see a balance of ages an interests covered by those visiting the store.
We are also using gifts to drive a point of difference for us. Given that magazines, newspapers, stationery and cards are elsewhere, gifts are an area where we can drive our USP.