The importance of the new driver opportunity for newsagents

I am confident a survey in Australia asking people where they would purchase learner driver handbooks and L and P plates of different types would show newsagencies as one of the top destination stores, if not the absolute top. We can better own this opportunity.

I know in my newsagency most purchases of these items are destination purchases. They are a good traffic driver for us.

Thinking about this on the weekend, as a result of serving a customer, I realised we (I) do not do enough to leverage the opportunity. While we have a good range of product, in a stable location, well displayed and easily shopped, we are not promoting the opportunity outside the location or outside the newsagency.

While we could rest on our laurels and maintain good sales by doing what we do today, I wonder if there is an opportunity to increase sales of what is a staple category for every newsagency by promoting the opportunity outside the business and promoting it better inside the business through a front of store feature from time to time.

These are products people need and that, for the most part, have not been replaced by a digital alternative. They also allow us to connect our businesses to an interesting mix of people beyond what is obvious. For example, selling to new migrants presents a new opportunity. However, unless we seek they out they may not think of us.

My own plan is to run a front of store display to coincide with a promotion of gifts for new drivers, cards for new drivers as well as these instruction books and L plates and P plates. Linked with the display will be out of store promotion, on social media, connecting the learner driver and new driver opportunity in my local area with the newsagency.

I think this type of marketing, for products for which we think we are already well-known, is vital to our businesses, to shore up the community knowledge and connect with some who may not have us top of mind for these products.

Marketing like I am suggesting is inexpensive, under $10 – and well worth it even if it finds one or two new shoppers.

Whereas in the past we relied on traffic for a small number of mega categories in our businesses, today our future relies on leveraging many categories, each delivering small amounts of traffic. Promoting learner driver manuals and P and L plates is an important, if small, marketing activity for any newsagent.