Powerball jackpotting last night and setting up a $150M first prize draw for Thursday next week will be a distraction in plenty of shops over the next week, unfortunately.
While many will cheer the sales and commission boost, sustained value for retailers is a challenge given many who will visit a shop for the first time to buy a lottery ticket will not look around, get acquainted with the business and plan to return. That’s not the fault of the retailer. rather, it’s what happens with huge jackpots like this.
Given the selfish and tough rules from The Lott as to how the space they control can be used, retailers have few options to leverage greater value from the lottery jackpot shopper.
A chunk of hours allocated for the next week on back to school, Valentine’s Day and other better margin and more sustained opportunities will take a back seat in labour challenged shops.
The jackpot is good for most retailers for sure. I suspect, however, it will be of even more benefit for online sales.
If you have lotteries in your newsagency, I hope the week is huge and profitable for you.
It’s in situations like this that having the counter at the back of our store pays off. Many times we have seen hubbie standing in line waiting for his ticket and the wife decides she’ll have a look around while she’s waiting. Next thing you know, she’s standing at the counter next to him with a $300 leather handbag. Putting our counter at the back of the store is probably one of the best business and money making decisions we ever made.