A newsagent recently told me what their Tatts rep said when challenged by the newsagent about Tatts moving into other retail channels: with so many newsagencies closing we have no choice.
Newsagents who hear this need to not let whoever says it get away with it. Ask for evidence. Ask for a list of newsagencies that have closed and resulted in other retailers being engaged.
Maybe the Tatts rep was sharing a private opinion. Regardless. they were in the business representing Tatts. They should have been more careful with their words.
Tatts needs to own its decision to expand into other retail channels.
Three newsagents have contacted me about this today saying their Tatts reps had blamed expansion into non newsagency businesses in QLD on newsagencies closing. They said they would not comment here because Tatts may figure out who they are. That’s sad.
Beware the Ides of March, in December. It’s the beginning of the end girls.
And what would Tatts do if they worked out who you are??
We are in an industry in which the larger suppliers are bullies.
Don’t be afraid to speak out for the betterment of our industry and yourselves.
Only the beginning of the end for those who did not start adapting in 2010 or earlier Andrew f.
There are plenty of ordinary newsagents out there, who really should not be in retail. They expect because they have their house mortgaged that they should be protected but reality is these are lazy retailers without the ability to adapt or take risks. Under the natural forces of retail these stores are closing anyway.
On the flip side there are a lot of retailers out there who trade under the newsagency shingle who are terrific retailers and have changed there business model.
These same quality retailers will find opportunity where some of those other lazy newsagents have failed.
Unfortunately this move by Tatts further erodes the confidence in prospective buyers into your business and also makes lending authorities even more reluctant to finance these type of businesses.
My concern is that what the reps are reportedly saying is contrary to what tatts has said publicly on this matter.
Is it that farfetched to stop calling your business a ‘newsagency’ in order to reinvent your chosen occupation?
Andrew that’s a conversation some of us have been having for a while.
Yes Mark, Off topic but I would love it if you again opened up a thread about transition to
whatever is next after a newsagency. Not so much about lines to stock but about identification and marketing.
Bruce this will also be well canvassed in the Newsagency of the Future series starting early in 2015.