Merewether Newsagency in Newcastle closed a few days ago. The ABC had a terrific radio report about the closure, the history of the shop and characters worked in the shop.
The interview with the current owner focussed on the reasons for closure. Unfortunately, the decline and ultimate closure was tied to newspaper sales.
Smart newsagents stopped relying on newspaper sales ten years ago. Sure, we sell them. Sales are declining. Real margin is lower now than years ago.
Many decisions by newspaper publishers have told newsagents to not rely on newspapers.
I know of newsagents in small towns of 2,000 and even less people who are running successfully evolved businesses.
While the closure of any newsagency is sad for those involved and the community, there are many good stories out there about newsagencies that are thriving, and that’s a story that journalists and news editors appear disinterested in.
Too many people including journalists look at newsagent businesses as if they are out of place. I reckon they see what they think we were years ago. Thank god my shop is nothing like that. The world has changed but some people seem to forget that.