I was contacted recently with a story about a nearby greengrocer who is offering a copy of The Sunday Telegraph for free with every purchase over $10.00. The usual price for The Sunday Telegraph at the greengrocer is just $1. The posters are professionally done, making it look like a corporate-driven offer. It’s hard for a retailer a couple of doors away to compete with this.
The person who drew this to my attention notes:
Two things amuses me about this brand devaluation: the advertised home delivery promotion is $1.50 per week so no incentive for me to commit to that AND there is no in-paper “hook” to get me to become a regular purchaser when this discounting ends.
I’d be interested to hear from others who may have noticed a similar offer from a local business – not one of the majors as we know about them.
I understand publishers are trying a range of activities to drive newspaper sales from subscriptions to deals around single copy sales. It is vitally important that they do not harm the established newspaper outlet by working with a new outlet.
MAYBE not sure it would work but have they ever thought about working with hmmm what do you call them ,oh thats right NEWSAGENTS . MAYBE if they worked with us a bit better and gave us a better deal they might actually sell more papers ………just a thought
Decent content may improve sales?
Possibly a very pro active green grocer, the newsagent should do a similar deal and have a free offer with the paper. Maybe a carrot!.
The paper publishers can you supply you with fruit.
They have been giving us the rough end of the pineapple for some time.
As soon as you give an everyday product away for no price it has almost no value in the hands of the recipient.
Two issues immediately come to mind.
1. Price and as as answered by Mark.
2. Lack of Pride and hence respect for its own product shown by the printers and distributors (not newsagent distribution). Sunday Teles are received with Bulks falling apart, not stacked neatly and with significant damage to papers in a bulk. Papers commonly missing inserts or with multiple copies of an insert, It is this one that costs me time and effort to fix as a customer not getting the insert see me as the responsible person even though it was packed and sent to me like that by News.
This drive for circulation at any cost is funded by News so I hope any increase in advertising revenue is worth it to them because we do not see any of it. It is costing my bottom line.
Peter we have had similar issues with inserts missing etc. I simply refer News subscibers to ring News and complain and if i have any papers left i will put aside what inserts are missing for them to collect just before we close. Under no circumstances will i deliver what is missing we are not News quality control offices and it costs money.
Over time people are aware of this and will pick the inserts up and are thankful we will provide them. Tuff but fair why should we loose money.
a newsagent in our area recently closed i heared that the newspaper company lost the sales of 500 newspapers, they have not appeared anywhere else. when will the newspaper companies realise that we are an asset which promotes their publications, looks after and treats their mast head with respect not just add on to the general sales.
I thought from their attitude we were seen as an unnecessary overhead.