We play a role in the newsagency channel narrative

Every time we talk to someone, anyone, about our business, retail, local small business retail, anyone, we add to the narrative about our channel, local retail, small business retail – in addition to the narrative about our business.

When speaking to the media, journalists in my experience come to us with a bias about our channel and about local small business retail, unfortunately.

“Business owners, nowdays after COVID-19, we are not making any money. Please don’t do this,” Singh said.

This is a quote from a newsagency owner, from a story by 9 News in Melbourne about a newsagency that was robbed.

I get the emotional feelings following the break in would underpin anything said. The journalists would know this. I also get there is no point saying we are doing fine when being interviewed about a robbery.

The quote does nothing for the narrative of newsagency retail or local small business retail in general.

Our choice.

All of us who own newsagencies have chosen to do so. We have made that decision. Just like we decide who works for us, what we stock, how we display it and how we promote our businesses.

These are all our choices.

The performance of our business is a consequence of our choices.

If business is tough we need to respond. If what we respond with does not work, we need to change our response. We need to keep changing until we can change no more because of time, resources or will.

The thing is, our business reflects us. We choose how we present ourselves, and that can impact others that trade in similarly named businesses, no matter how different our businesses are.

I know of many newsagents doing well. Most newsagents I speak with had a good Covid. Plenty of newsagents are making good money.

I get that there can be local circumstances that beat against the pursuit of success. Online can help play outside that, and online has been an active option in our channel for more than ten years.

I also get that personal financial circumstances can dictate what we are able to do. However, we chose to be in business.

Here are some truths about newsagency retail in Australia today. While I accept people may disagree, on these points I have seen enough data to know they are true:

• You determine who notices your business based on the products you carry, where and how you display them and how you promote them outside the business.
• Convenience retail is not successful for independent newsagents.
• Value retail, like what you see in a discount variety store, is not successful for independent newsagents.
• Tobacco has no upside, no benefit for retail newsagents.
• Vape products have no upside and will limit your shopper reach.
• Everyday confectionery at the counter is far less successful than more unique and higher margin items.
• Newspapers work just as well in a less expensive location than the high-traffic front of the shop publishers want.
• Greeting cards is the best margin category in your business and it is the one that responds best and fastest to your attention.
• $1 and $2 cards deliver little, or, usually, no financial value to the business.
• While agency business brings people in, in too many situations that foot traffic is not adequately leveraged to valuable retail sales.
• Newsagents can sell gifts at $200, $300 and more apiece.
• You are not your customer.

I could go on.

In truth: if we are finding business is tough, if we are not making any money, doing the same thing over and over will keep us in that rut.