A representative of ACP Magazines visited our shop this week to ask us to remove the $50 million OzLotto posters from the side of the ACP Magazines basket builder stand. They did so because of the photos I posted here.
We had a representative of Tattersalls in our shop just over a week ago who asked us to remove all non Tattersalls product, including magazines from ACP Magazines, from our Tattersalls counter.
The ACP representative did not thank us for the additional coverage we are giving their titles outside their usual location.
The Tattersalls representative did not thank us for the additional coverage we are giving their products outside the Tattersalls dedicated area.
This is all very silly stuff – it gets in the way of newsagents being entrepreneurial.
The ACP stand still serves its purpose well – presenting impulse opportunities to people approaching our counter. The OzLotto message is only seen on the side.
The Tattersalls counter is easily navigated and the pitches for the various games quite clear.
Newsagencies are finely balanced businesses. A range of product categories and major suppliers need to work with each other. Their interests and the interests of newsagents would be better served if they imposed fewer rules and invested their policing budget instead on business building. We provide access to our retail space, including premium counter space, free. I have heard that magazine publishers pay 7-eleven in Australia hundreds of dollars a year per title on the counter.
I think that our use of the ACP basket builder stand is clever. I am told that it was not until they saw photos here that ACP realised how the back of the basket builder stand could be used for displaying and selling product.
UPDATE: (10:20am) I have just spoken with a senior manager of ACP who has confirmed that the company is happy for the side of the basket builder to be used for rare promotions such as the OzLotto jackpot. They would, understandably, not want it used to promote competitive titles.
