News Limited is hitting some newsagents in regional South Australia with an 80 cent freight charge on The Advertiser, the local SA newspaper, Monday to Friday and $1 per newspaper for weekend titles.
This is an extraordinary charge, one newsagents will have no choice but to pass on to consumers.
It will make newsagents look bad applying a price over and above the cover price printed on the product. It’s a move that us upsetting some newsagents as they think about how regular customers and holiday markers will react.
I am not sure how News has decided the areas to be hit with this 66% levy given that some rural and regional areas of South Australia are hot being charged while others are. Some in the areas being charged feel discriminated against and I am inclined to agree with them.
Beyond the charge itself, the approach by News adds to the workload of newsagents – creating something that they could seek additional compensation (from customers) for.
I imagine if you were all to display those explanation posters supplied by News, your customers would take some of the heat of you, the agent, wouldn’t they 😉
News DID provide explanation posters for public display didn’t they 🙂
News = disgusting.
Another News decision that has not been thought thru, just like cutting 170 newsagents supply of Herald Sun in SA, now the truck drives past my store to deliver them to a store that sells less than I did and is emblazoned with AFR and The Age signage!
Lance if only! What News is doing is appalling. If it affected me I’d complain to: http://www.sasbc.sa.gov.au
I’m one of the newsagents affected with no Lotto and little other income supplies so such an increase could cause my closure. They said freight is the problem but there’s no increase in SA’s Riverland or South East. Why the discrimination?!!
Lyndon I’d encourage you and others to talk to the small business commissioner about this – urgently.
My understanding is that the Small Business Commissioner’s office is now engaged in this issue.
Great Mark. Now it’s up to the rest ovya to contact them and give some support to the instigator of the investigation.
If you ppl don’t complain about News, your customers will complain about you.
Get in first and get a result that benefits you and the customer. Do it tomorra 😉