This is the front of one of my newsagencies from a couple of days ago, showing how it is now configured for Christmas shopping.
The mall-facing display was reconfigured to better connect with Christmas shopping opportunities.
We have some who visit this newsagency saying that it does not look like a newsagency from the front. Yes, it does not look like an old style newsagency.
Our view is that the world has changed. The changes in retail and print media are enough to cause us to change how we configure our businesses. I want people visiting my shops for reasons that are valuable in terms of margin and relevant to the future. This is what we have gifts and cards as our core pulling factors.
The traffic we attract is valuable for more traditional newsagency lines with magazines and stationery continuing to deliver good year on year growth.
Our strategy at this store is to be the go-to place for seasons and key brand-based opportunities. We engage with the strategy by going beyond what shoppers expect from a traditional newsagency. Our Christmas and One Direction commitments are the two recent examples of this.