It is good to see more stationery brands prepared to deal direct with newsagents rather than going through the traditional wholesalers.
The closer the connection between these brands and retail newsagents the better for both those parties.
Stationery sales tell us that a shake up was necessary and from what we have seen over the years, the needed shake up was unlikely to be at the wholesaler level.
The more brands that deal direct with retailers the better as this should improve the investment by brands in the retailer relationship and investment by retailers in the brand relationship. Yes, a true win win.
No, I am not going to name brands here as that is not the point of this post.
My goal today is to acknowledge that change inn this space is occurring and to record my opinion that I think it is a good move. I do this hoping more stationery brands will explore direct relationships with newsagents, turning their back on the expense of wholesaler relationships that may not benefit them as needed.
There are opportunities for stationery growth in newsagencies and the best parties to work together to make this happen are newsagents and the supplier brands.
Right on Mark, I have also been approached by stationery wholesalers direct. They are complaining about GNS lack of support they are unable to obtain orders or show them new lines or products. Since the old format of pick and pay was introduced their sales have plummeted and of course so has the Newsagents sales of these products that are every day selling items. We are not talking about a random brand but well known items. I think the GNS Board has a lot to answer for they decided to abandon the newsagency industry and chase business outside thereby competing direct with newsagents. GNS has always been for and owned by newsagents first and foremost it should look after them. Some of the board members have had no interest in the industry for up to 25 years for them it is more of a status or social event and I am sorry to say they are out of touch , if they are looking for a social or status position they should move on and join Probus or the Lions clubs and let people who have a vested interest in the industry run the place. As more wholesalers move direct to newsagents GNS will became obsolete and go broke.
For me, this move is not a bout personalities or history but, rather, about the future and what is appropriate to our businesses. We are competing in a very different world to that of even five years ago when it comes to retail. For us to be competitive, and being competitive is not necessarily about price, we need less friction in being, better go to market strategies and access to a broader range of product. A direct relationship will help this.
I would like GNS and Ancol to hold Metro and Regional meetings to advise Newsagents as to what their short and medium term plans are .
History shows they have been unable to break from the past , particularly with range. If they have a plan I would like to know what it is .
what future GNS has? good luck!
It would be unfortunate if this post was hijacked into an anti-GNS rally. That was not my intent.
If GNS were to go, the marketing franchises would also go.
We rely on Officesmart (while not perfect) for the production of brochures and pricing files to allow us to compete with the majors.
Newpower would also go.
We do need to support GNS for these, otherwise how else can we compete
Subaru, speaking for newsXpress, the state of GNS plays no role in the health or future of the group.
Yes, GNS is in yesteryear mode however they are merely a reflection of most of the industry they represent. Unless you and 2000 of your closest friends in the newsagency industry are purchasing a substantial amount of SKU’s from one supplier then the cost of logistics is going to soak up any advantage dealing direct with suppliers.
I would love to improve my brand to retailer relationships as it means that I gain a better knowledge of their products for my customers. Our stationery sales are growing year on year and I love to stock new ranges. If I dealt directly with the brands I could ensure that my product range is always relevant. The brands I deal with directly are by far the best performing in my store.