It is now tradition that many suppliers to retail and newsagency businesses are closed in these days between Christmas and New Year.
With so many in business saying how tough things are, seizing every opportunity possible to serve customers is important.
I know of several suppliers benefiting from being open this week while competitors are closed. The same is true for newsagencies. I know of newsagency businesses that are closed this week – yes, all of this week. That does not make sense to me, especially if they sell lottery products.
In my own case at my newsagencies are open and at my newsagency software company, every day newsagency businesses are open they need access to support. The challenge is that with some suppliers closed you get queries that they should have got.
With online playing such a big role in business today, those with strong online businesses are never really closed. Given that business today is a race to the cash, being always open is necessary.
Prefer to believe is a race for the customer. Our approach is shopping experience, personal service, product differentiation. We want to be the destination, yes we need to be open, but only when it is profitable to be so.
As magazines and papers continue their challenging retreat to towards 10% of turnover I look forward to the reduced hours opportunity open to a destination retailer.
I’m with the suppliers, less can be more.
I closed on the 24th and aren’t reopening till the 2nd of Jan. First holiday longer than the Easter break in 6 and a half years. Took 3 and a half days trading off and turned it into a 9 day break.
There’s more to life than work and money, you have to look after your health both mental and physical and put yourself first sometimes.
I’m relaxing by a pool in Bali and trust me Mark it makes perfect sense. Not every newsagent can afford managers and employees that make it possible to fly all over the world while the business keeps operating.
Your snide comment is unnecessary Steve. 99% of my travel is business related. the 1% of time it is not I am usually working while away. This is a choice I make, just as your life is your choice to make. You miss the point of my post, again.
With 3 big lottos of 30,25 and 30 followed by another 40 next week our shop is more busy than any X’MAS holidays I could recall.I agree its a choice, we manage by opening 2 hrs late in morning and closing 2 hrs early and making the hours more productive.
After a good card sale, trying to push Calendars and Diaries as most people here,buy them just ahead or in first week of January.
I too agree that “Caring about Customers” doesnt mean opening the doors from early morning till evening all 365 days.
It means planning ahead very well and choosing your opening times wisely and adjust staff roster well so they too get a chance to chill and relax.
Customers too understand that newsagents work hard and doesnt complain about less opening hours.But a complete shut down for weeks is bit trickly as our job requires less physical work than take away food shops(the everyday cleaning etc..)
Mark you made a comment disparaging newsagents who have closed over this period. I have just pointed out why I have taken that decision.
Not snide just a statement of facts. some newsagents have the backup to leave their businesses operating while they aren’t there, for others its close up for a while or go slowly insane while chained to the millstone.
With Lotto commissions being what they are they would hardly make it worthwhile to open for the week in most instances anyhow. The only reason I’ve opened the Wednesday through Saturday 3.5 days this week is because I have other businesses with the Newsagency and they have been fairly busy which builds to making it somewhat worthwhile (yesterday was a ripper but this afternoon I probably could have gone home at 2 and not lost money !)
It is what it is and is an individual choice just like some newsagents choose to still be paying lip service to the magazines because it suits them and their business.
Steve there was no disparagement whatsoever in my post, not even a hint of it.
Not every newsagent can afford managers and employees that make it possible to fly all over the world while the business keeps operating. is snide in my view. But, sure, you are entitled to it, even if it is ignorant.
Can you end the year without sniping and bitching about posts that may not reflect you POV Mark or is your ego just too big to accommodate this. Sheeesh
Andrew it is not about point of view. Rather, it is about facts. There was no disparagement. Everyone can have their opinion.
RE: Businesses being closed over the break… We have lost sales of around 150 week day newsapapers so far this short week.
Because News Ltd will not supply what we request.
They over ride our requests and we get a pittance. A dribble of papers.
Why? Anyone know why?
BillyB this is a good example of the behaviour to which I was referring. I know of several newsagents who bought through another supplier because their usual supplier of a range was closed. With newspapers you don’t have that luxury.
Billy, we requested from our area manager too , but still cut half.
Billy, I was emailed by my area manager and asked what I wanted our allocation to be. I explained my reasons behind the adjustments and they have been about 20 either side each day.
Last year I emailed the other AM I had and he stated that they would decrease the papers because people were on holidays.
Yes this is true, however do people on holidays mysteriously disappear or do they travel elsewhere? We are a tourist town which holds a Folk Festival between Christmas and New Year.
Even with an Oz Lotto jackpot on Tuesday we were still closed. We close 4 days a year and if people cannot understand that, then that is up to them.
We open early to accommodate the mine workers in the area and we close late to accommodate other workers.
We stand by our decision to trade half days Public Holidays and also by the decision that we will NEVER trade on ANZAC Day.