With the last sale completed and the shop all packed up for at least one day off, many newsagents will be reflecting tonight on a strong pre-Christmas season.
Early indications are of good year on year growth for city, country, high street and shopping centre newsagencies – especially in the last two weeks. Christmas cards have been very strong as have been gifts. Magazines have benefited too with sales up year on year in more than half the stores I have seen data from.
Several newsagents I have spoken with have declared that sales are back to the good old days. While I don’t think that will every happen – as we have moved on from what a newsagency used to be – I am more certain than ever that we make our own success as much as we make our own failure.
It’s been a thrill this Christmas to see experimental product moves succeed and an opportunity to learn from those that have not succeeded.