I’ve been thinking a lot about how we consume media these days, and it’s really changing the retail landscape. Gone are the days when we’d all sit down in front of the YV at a set time, or listen to the radio at a specific hour. Okay so the TV networks thing the nightly news is still a thing when in reality in terms of accessing news it is not a thing or at least not as much of a thing it used to be. Now, we’re all about streaming, podcasts, and YouTube, grabbing our content whenever it suits us.
And it got me thinking, if we’re not tied to appointment-based media anymore, why should we be tied to appointment-based shopping? You know, those traditional brick-and-mortar stores with their fixed opening hours. Like newsagents. It just doesn’t make sense when considering the future.
Too many retailers are missing out on a huge chunk of potential customers by not having a strong online presence. People want the flexibility and convenience of shopping whenever they want, from wherever they are. If you’re not online, you’re basically telling those customers, “Sorry, we’re closed.”
Having a website isn’t just a “nice to have” anymore; it’s essential. It’s about meeting your customers where they are, which is increasingly online. If you want to stay competitive in today’s market, you’ve got to offer that flexibility. It’s all about convenience.
This has all been on my mind for a while. It’s one reason I captured some more thoughts here:
Physical retail is not dead. It is changing though. What I am writing about here is, I hope, food for thought.
There are many of is who support newsagents and own newsagency businesses who can speak to these changes and help you hitch a ride on the changes occurring.
Too many newsagents leave anything to do with online for their business to others to do. Take Facebook posts. Letting someone else do them for you is ridiculous. This results in boring fodder. It see it on many newsagency Facebook pages – posts created in an office far from your shop and with little consideration of your shop. Stop it. It’s a waste of time and money.
Please, consider your online strategy. Are you truly catering to the modern consumer, the one who expects on-demand access to everything? If not, it’s time to make some changes. Embrace the digital age, build a strong online presence, and give your customers the flexibility they crave. You’ll be glad you did, and so will they.