Sheesh I hate it when a supplier says this. They think saying this range is perfect for a newsagency gives them an in when pitching to a newsagent. Not to me and here’s why:
- I can’t recall them ever having evidence to back up their claim.
- The products are likely to be something our channel may have sold in the 1980s.
- Suppliers tend to not be retailers and are likely to be out of touch with our retail.
- I don’t want products others think are perfect for a newsagency because newsagency today in 2024 is a meaningless term.
So many of us have transitioned our businesses into new product categories and services, we have moved far away from the newsagency of the 1980s. We keep the shingle because it’s easy, not because it is accurately descriptive.
For sure there are products in our businesses from back when the shingle reflected a channel full of similar businesses, things like newspapers, magazines, cards, stationery and lotteries. Many in our channel don’t rely on some of these old core categories.
Suppliers need to stop generalising about newsagencies. It lets them down and it is not appealing to us.
If you have a range or a product to pitch do so based on the facts: tell me who will buy it, when and how often; explain how I can reach them; provide evidence; make a financial case in terms of return on investment and floorspace.