I have visited more than ten supermarkets in the last two weeks to see their approach to everyday stationery, following up a hunch that they are having more impact on stationery sales in newsagencies than considered.
In each case they offered an excellent range, covering everyday needs. Easily shopped. Offering brands people know. At prices that do not feel too high.
While range is important, it is the location of the stationery pitch that drives success in my view. In every case, stationery was placed to maximise passing traffic. In more than half, it was placed at the end of the pet food aisle, and most of the times, toilet paper was in the same aisle. This is what you see coming out of the aisle.
I think it is this placement that impacts stationery sales in a newsagency. People doing their weekly shop can easily satisfy their needs without having to make a separate trip to a newsagency. further, they can do it somewhere they think lower prices are a focus , thanks to advertising saying so, rather than a shop they think is expensive.
Declining stationery revenue in the newsagency channel concerns me as this product category was core, it was a traffic generator. While I do not have shopper traffic intent data, I suspect the number of people entering a newsagency to purchase stationery is down considerably from ten, five and and even one year(s) ago.
The easy businesses to complain about for declining stationery traffic and sales are Officeworks and Staples online. While I agree, I think the focussed and tactically located stationery pitch in supermarkets is having a stronger impact on our businesses.
What can you do about this?
- Review your range. Ensure it is focussed, efficient and fresh.
- Review your price pitch. Make sure it is relevant to today.
- Review your placement. Make sure it is tactically placed to leverage shoppers not looking for stationery.
- Reach outside. Talk about stationery, specific products, on social media.
The alternatives are to complain that some other party is responsible for the decline or to sit by and do nothing. Both those responses are unproductive.
Own it. Understand it. Fix it.