What’s this? … a business tip video on TikTok
Enjoy…
Terrific social media resources from 3M
Click here to access awesome social media resources you can use to pitch 3M products. The resources have been created by 3M for retailers of their products.
With giftwrap tape, double sided tape and Scotch Magic Tape selling well this time of year, pitching on social media is timely.
The folks at 3M participated in a Zoom meeting with newsXpress members recently, sharing tech insights into the product, which will help drive sales. A couple of key takeaways from that session are: place the products with wrap and at the counter and, maintain stock levels as many retailers sell out early in the season and can’t get replenishment stock.
It may not seem like great use of time or resources to focus on tape. However, it’s a good margin impulse purchase that can add tangible value to the basket. The business is there for you to grab through simple and low-cost options.
If Australian jobs matter to you and your family…
I wrote this article for my POS software company’s blog a few days ago. I share it here as I think it is relevant to any business owner keen to drive support form local shoppers.
If Australian jobs matter to you and your family…
There is plenty of talk from politicians, in the media and on social media about the need to create local jobs, in Australia, for Australians, about the need to provide opportunities for job growth.
Too often, the talk is the end of it, the talk is only talk.
The best way to create jobs is to buy locally. However, buying locally applies to all of us, including us in business. We need to buy locally as much as possible.
While I am not an economist, I think I am right in saying that the more of our money that we spend entirely pithing Australia, the more the Australian economy benefits and the more local jobs that will be created.
This is why in the retaIl shops I own we preference Australian made. Now, by Australian made we do not mean the products that limp over a line that says a percentage of the product has to be from Australia. No, we want the whole thing made here if at all possible as it is this that adds real value to our economy.
In our own business where we develop POS software, our biggest competitors are overseas companies that spend huge sums promoting through search engines and social media. We don’t spend dollars advertising on those platforms. Our investment is in our people, our software designers and developers, our help desk team, our admin people, Australians who will spend their pay check in the local economy with that spend helping the types off businesses we sell to.
To us, this is what shop local looks like. It is about understanding your place in the economy and knowing that your buying decisions can make a difference to other local businesses and hopping that those in control off those other local businesses support more local businesses.
The ripple effect of shopping and sourcing locally can be wonderful not only for the individuals benefiting but for the whole local economy.
The importance of this is something we leverage in our POS software by providing retailers easy ways to indicate locally sourced products, to help them in their shops and online to shine a light on locally sourced products. We have coded these tools into the software to make it easier for local retailers to monetise locally sourced products.
Shop local to us is much more than a poster or a slogan. It is about active decisions we make that help other local businesses, in the hope that their decisions, too, help other local businesses.
Now, if only politicians went beyond lip service on the shop local front, if only they actively engaged in this in terms of their personal spending and any spending then engage in on behalf of their constituents.
The real power in the shop local discussion is in the dollar. Spend the dollar in your hand locally and you make a powerful, and appreciated, contribution.
News Corp. offers newsagents 37.12 cents for each copy of 40 years of State of Origin
Retail newsagent who stock the 40 years of State of Origin magazine from News Corp. will make 7.5% of the cover price for each copy sold.
Shame on News Corp. for this.
For a company that shouts daily from its print and digital platforms on many matters including telling others what to do and how to lead, here they are giving newsagents not even a living wage to support this title.
Retail newsagents will make 37.12 cents from each copy sold. For this compensation, they will have to:
- Unpack the title.
- Check supply against the invoice.
- Create space to display the title.
- Place the title in retail.
- Maintain space for the title for up to eight weeks.
- Scan each sale.
- Take the title off in early December.
- Count returns.
- Physically process the returns.
- Fund any theft of the title.
37.12 cents a copy for all of this investment by newsagents!
A few newsagents I have spoken with expect they could sell 10 or 12 copies of the magazine. For that they will receive around $4.00. They also said that handling everything necessary that is associated with the title will cost around a man-hour, maybe more.
$4.00 an hour is appalling. The current, non Covid, unemployment benefit paid by the federal government calculates out at around $4.87 an hour. With this 40 years of State of Origin magazine from News Corp., the company is paying less than the unemployment rate.
That’s how much News Corp. values small business newsagents, that’s how much the company cares for them.
On the from cover of The Courier Mail, News Corp. claims we’re for you. They are not, though, they are certainly not for newsagents and all who rely on a newsagency business for income.
So, how much should newsagents be paid to offer this title? The gross profit from the 40 years of State of Origin magazine should be at least 45%. While that would not make it profitable for newsagents, it would at least demonstrate respect for newsagents and their investment of labour and retail space in supporting the title.
The current low margin arrangement for print product continues poor and disrespectful treatment of newsagents by publishers. Newsagents putting up with this treatment allow it to continue.
Newsagents only make money from what they sell. Publishers make money in a range of ways from a print title.
Publishers will complain that they don’t make enough to give newsagents a better margin. That is not the fault of newsagents. Newsagents have fixed labour and space costs. They increase yearly. Publishers need to respect this if they want the channel to continue. They current approach to compensation is a factor in some newsagents quitting the channel.
Sydney port industrial action impacts Build A Model Spitfire delay
Newsagents received this notice late yesterday announcing a delay to the release of parts of the Build a Model Spitfire partwork:
Screen advertising in a newsagency?
I’ve heard of some newsagents receiving a hard-sell recently to put an advertising screen in their shop.
Our retail channel has a track record of failure with such screens. I am not aware of any over the last 20 or so years that have worked, from the Bill Express screen on.
In my shops I want less visual noise, not more. Also, I want to promote what I sell, not what other businesses sell.
I told the sales person who called me no thanks. They persisted. I said no thanks again. They hung up and called again. Still, no thanks.
If you are going to do digital screens in-store, they needs to be seamlessly integrated into your business, carrying your message through professionally produced content, that works for you. That takes tens of thousands of dollars to deliver.
Recent Covid infections an important reminder to retailers
Recent infections in several states where retail businesses and shopping centres have been named are a timely reminder to all retailers to manage Covid safe businesses. Here is the approach we continue to follow in my own shops:
- All staff wear masks with masks available at no cost from the business.
- Hand sanitiser for staff at the counter and encouraging its use. Ideally, a sanitiser that does not dry skin.
- Hand sanitiser for customers at entrance and at the counter.
- Perspex screens remain in place to provide a protective barrier for shoppers and staff.
- Regular cleaning of main touch-point surfaces in the shop from the entrance through to deep into the shop.
- Thorough clean after close each day including disinfectant surface clean.
- Encouraging payment by contactless card.
- Maintaining a smooth traffic flow with a designated entrance and designated exit.
- Only using government issued signage in-store.
- Reminding people through social media about the commitment of the business to safe shopping.
- Continuing with the curbside pickup offer.
- Continuing with the free local delivery offer for people in need, who cannot easily personally shop.
These steps have helped ensure consistent access to the workforce and good traffic flow from shoppers.
What we did to get an $800.00 online sale yesterday at 1:33pm from a shopper interstate
We received an online order yesterday in one of my newsagencies at 1:33pm worth $800.00. It was one of 12 online orders for that business, yesterday totalling $1,800 in value.
Each one of these orders is a pre-order – fully paid for up front for stock that is another week away from arriving in-store and two months away from being paid for by us.
The specific products are not relevant to this post as what I share below could apply to plenty of products and product categories. What we have done in this two and a half year old business is what anyone could do and what I know several newsagents are doing to win online sales.
- Create your online presence as a start-up business. My recommendation is that you not take your existing shop online under your existing shop’s branding.
- Choose a product niche or category that is sought after, that is being searched for. This could be a brand, a licence, an end use or some other segmentation that makes sense to the shopper.
- Look for brands and categories people could be loyal to for some time.
- Source key suppliers. Preference suppliers who might work with you on geographically exclusive items.
- Register a domain and business name that speaks to the shopper for the chosen category.
- Develop your approach to packaging and shipping, remembering that this process has to be delivered as a brand extension. Add value here and you will bring them back.
- Create a site that serves the shopper.
- Include on the website unique knowledge / information that lifts you up as an expert in the product category field.
- Include a chat facility on the site, so you can answer questions from people who do not want to email or call with their queries.
- Create a separate Facebook page to support the website. Regularly feed contact to that page, content specifically for that page.
- Ask your suppliers to link to your website and appreciate them for any promotion they offer on their social media pages.
- Search out other social media pages that reach your target shopper and engage with those communities.
- Email shoppers, appreciating their business. Find ways to remain connected with them as this connection can help bring them back.
The first step revenue goal with online for any business entering that space has to be 5% (or less) of total revenue. Once there, the next goal is 10%, then 15% and so on. Goals are important.
Treat your online business as a start up. Manage it as such. Embrace mistakes and failures as they are the foundation bricks to success – cliché yes, but true.
Do you have to stock in your shop products you sell online? No. I say this as many retailers think the answer is yes. Seriously, think of your online business as a start up as doing this frees you up to be more open to what you sell.
Can I put my shop online though? Of course. It’s 100% up to you.
Isn’t shipping hard? Offer what enough people want and shipping can be resolved by building it into the price or you looking at online as cream sales, sales from which you can give up some margin.
My newsagency software company develops websites for newsagents. While what I have written here does relate to the online success at my high street newsagency, it is the same advice I provide all newsagents who contact Tower Systems querying about website development.
The Saturday Paper in Coles
The Saturday Paper is being made available through Coles, which is frustrating some newsagents. This respected title has been in our channel for 5 years. Newsagents have supported it even though the margin is slim. It is disappointing some that Coles now gets the title.
Newsagents have been asked by IPS to deliver bundles to Coles for a $5.00 drop fee. I’d be surprised if many agree to this.
Free newsagency marketing session today
Today @ 10:30am I’m hosting an open forum @ 10:30am to outline what newsXpress offers and how it works.
While I am primarily doing this to record and share via video, anyone is welcome to join to listen or ask questions.
With interest in newsXpress among newsagents and suppliers strong, it feels like a good time to offer this session.
Here are the details for joining in – anyone is welcome:
https://zoom.us/j/99657147413?pwd=dmhaa2VHK0pyb1M1bHZSeUxOMDNLUT09
Meeting ID: 996 5714 7413 Passcode: 081628
Scramble for alternatives to China sourcing
Importers are scrambling to find alternative sources for products they currently source out of factories in China.
The latest challenges with 2 Australian journalists fleeing China, Australians working in China advised by the Australian government to leave, the continues crack-down in Hong Kong and the greater focus on the plight of the Uyghurs is driving this.
Already, we have seen some suppliers shift product sourcing to Australia. I know of several suppliers who are driving the setup of production facilities in other low labour cost countries.
A challenging factor is in competitive situation. Currently, competing suppliers who source from China have a relatively consistent cost base. In moving production from China to another country there is, naturally, an impact on cost.
No slowing of jigsaw sales in newsagencies
With supply challenges all but resolved, sales of jigsaws are strong in newsagencies that have decided to continue with this category. Having an evolving range is key as is overing over the phone purchase as well as online purchase. Jigsaws also continue to be a popular locally delivered item. This has been an excellent category for us this year.
Newsagency marketing group open forum: This is newsXpress
Tomorrow, Tuesday, I’m hosting an open forum @ 10:30am to outline what newsXpress offers and how it works.
While I am primarily doing this to record and share via video, anyone is welcome to join to listen or ask questions.
With interest in newsXpress among newsagents and suppliers strong, it feels like a good time to offer this session.
Here are the details for joining in – anyone is welcome:
https://zoom.us/j/99657147413?pwd=dmhaa2VHK0pyb1M1bHZSeUxOMDNLUT09
Meeting ID: 996 5714 7413 Passcode: 081628
In the meeting I will be joined by a new products expert who will speak to net new traffic generating products, a millennial shopper expert who will speak to attracting that type of shopper and a data expert who will speak to how data can drive profitable business decisions.
newsXpress is grateful to have welcomed new members to the group over recent months, adding to this community of newsagents keen for new ideas and happy to embrace a culture of optimism.
Religious Christmas cards lead in early Christmas 2020 sales
Even though the Christmas card season for 2020 has barely started, we have enough data to indicate that, once again, religious card sales will lead this year.
Indeed, some religious designs have been so successful rely that we have reordered already as we will have sold out in the next week or so.
I suspect that this year we will see terrific growth in Christmas card sales, in singles as well as boxed. I suspect, too, that we will see even greater growth in religious Christmas card sales – based on the early results so far.
For us, having Christmas cards on the lease line is key, as is having a small and changing selection at the counter. These placements along with an occasional pitch with newspapers and a pitch on social media combiner’s to drive good results for us. I’d also add that we have seen terrific sales online, too, with customers adding a box or two of cards to other purchases.
While it’s early, I’m hoping for somewhere between 10% and 15% year on year growth in unit sales of Christmas cards.
Now, for anyone thinking it’s too early to talk about Christmas 2020, we know for sure that some majors like Kmart kick off Christmas 2020 in just over a week so being ahead of them with cards and other Christmas items is useful in serving the organised early shopper.
Stage 3 grants now open for Victorian businesses
Newsagents in Victoria can now apply for stage 3 cash grants from the government. The process is straightforward and the data required is not onerous.
The key data points are: ABN, Workcover employer number, revenue in FY2019/20, when you applied for JobKeeper, number of employees, number of full time, weeks on JobKeeper.
Click here to go to the Business Victoria detail page about the stage 3 grant.
Helping newsagents deal with XchangeIT emails
XchangeIT sends emails telling newsagents they have failed on data related measures set by XchangeIT and expect newsagents and their software companies to fix the issues – even though the benefits of doing this are questionable.
Last month, I got together with a couple of experts at Tower to talk about common reasons why XchangeIT may send the emails and how newsagents using the Tower newsagency software can resolve the issues. Here is a video of that session. I’m sharing it here because feedback is that it has helped newsagents reduce the XchangeIT reported issues.
Why I’m not supporting National Newsagent Week in my shops
National Newsagent Week kicks off tomorrow. It’s a supplier driven week of competitions and promotions designed to support retail newsagents.
While I think there is merit in shining a light on locally owned and run businesses, like newsagencies, this campaign misses the mark.
Take the collateral, it feels like something from the 1980s. It’s not an image relevant to 2020.
2020 has been a landmark year for the newsagency channel yet the creatives behind this campaign for some reason decided to not lead with that. Instead, on the website, they have used a stock image that speaks little to newsagency businesses.
If I was running this campaign, I’d have lead with Covid and the response from newsagents and the gratefulness felt by newsagents for the support of their local communities. I’d have included iso resources people could use along with other support materials that support the essential nature of newsagency businesses through Covid.
Every image on my website would be real, from real newsagency businesses, reflecting the unique role newsagents play in their communities and the valued role the channel has played in 2020. It its heart, my website would be a celebration.
2020 has been the year of the newsagent.
- We helped keep people informed.
- We have served local communities through Covid with shopper safety top of mind.
- We have helped people relax by offering awesome jigsaws, crosswords and maker craft items.
- We have helped homes remain calm by sourcing beautiful Australian made candles.
- We have shone a light on local makers giving them retail outlets for their creativity when local markets closed down.
- We have helped with home office supplies.
- We have provided support for home schooling by finding resources that help.
- We have delivered locally on behalf of loved-ones far away who could not visit.
- We have kept local people in work.
If I was in charge, my website would answer the fundamental question of why … why a national newsagent week? The supplier focus on the hame page reflects on the parties driving the campaign.
I get that those leading the campaign feel passionate about it and may not like critical assessment. The thing is, this is not a 2020 relevant campaign. Nor is it a newsagency in 2020 relevant campaign. The website itself is old and tiresome in design.
I know that in the newsXpress newsagency marketing group, we have run a series of campaigns that shine a light on the value of the local newsXpress business. These have been personally and practically focussed, leading to beneficial local engagement.
All of the above aside, there is no harm in newsagents putting up the poster and supporting the campaign, as I expect plenty will.
Footnote: I’ve written about this today on behalf of several newsagents who have contacted me about the campaign. What I have written reflects their opinions.
Tabcorp advertising TheLott on Facebook draws attention to in-store purchase pain points
Tabcorp has an ad on high rotation on Facebook in which they pitch App purchases by highlighting solutions for in-store purchase pain points. If people seeing the ad are not concerns about these pain-points, the ad could serve to make them concerned. It’s a simple and clever campaign.
The ad is another reminder to lottery retailers that Tabcorp is focussed on driving online purchases. I suspect they present the most efficient lottery customers for the business.
Here are screen shots from the ad:
WARNING: do not give out confidential information over the phone
There are several phone based scams doing impacting newsagents right now.
- One is from someone claiming to be from the tax office and asking for bank details, ostensibly to pay a refund to you.
- Another is from someone claiming to be a debt collector for the tax office and that you have to pay an amount, usually around $5,000, to avoid court action.
- Another is from someone asking you to vend a voucher for them as a test.
These calls are on top of phishing emails, that are seriously problematic.
Make sure your staff are trained. never provide information. Ask for a name and number to call back. They will usually hang up at this point.
In terms of emails, tell your staff to never click on a link.
Why does this matter today? because another newsagent has lost a ton of data and a chunk of money by being scammed.
What products do you have that you would not suggest newsagents sell?
Asking this question of several suppliers over the last few months have revealed plenty of products that we and some other newsagents have got on to stock, and have sales success with.
Many suppliers are clueless as to what newsagents can sell. I think this is because they are clueless as to what plenty of newsagency businesses have become today.
Every supplier I talk with, I ask What products do you have that you would not suggest newsagents sell? and hope that their answer will reveal new opportunities.
Too many have a bias against items costing more than $50 when pitching for our channel. Some have bias against items of quality. While it is frustrating to see this ignorance on show, it does demonstrate that at least asking the question can get to a solution.
Crazy anti maskers put lives at risk
Given the anti mask rallies in Melbourne last weekend and that they grew out of similar rallies in the US, as reported in the media here, I wonder if we will see in-store idiots like these people in a Florida Target store a day ago. I know plenty of retailers who have had to deal with individuals. A group this size is a whole other thing.
#idiots
Crosswords the hero magazine category in Aussie newsagencies in corona impacted 2020
Crossword magazine sales continue to surge in newsagencies, more so than any other magazine category.
Crossword unit sales are up around 60% year on year and are tracking at around 8% of magazine revenue, up from what has been usual.
Since other magazine retailers offer nowhere near the range of crossword titles found in newsagencies, this is good news for our channel.
Plenty of newsagents are leveraging the opportunity by ensuring crossword titles are in the best location and always kept fresh. This makes sense.
Based oil what I see in jigsaw, craft and related product sales, I suspect crosswords will continue to be strong for months to come. Certainly, that’s what I’ve factored into our own space allocation and promotion plans. And, yes, we are promoting crosswords outside the business as they work as a traffic generator.
Now, before anyone comments, I’m not happy with them paltry margin, not happy at all. However, I’ll take the traffic the category generates for now.
What is happening online for newsagents through Covid?
As newspapers and TV shows have been reporting retailers across Australia are growing online sales. Here are three current examples from the newsagency channel:
- A newsagency business I know launched a niche category website in May. In August they booked almost $4,400 in revenue with almost all of that coming from outside their town.
- Another newsagency I know launched their niche category website in late July and in August they booked just over $1,000 in sales with all of that from customers outside their town.
- Another newsagency I know, with a website established for two years, did $15,000 in online sales in August. This is more than double what they did in August 2019.
In each case above, none of which are my businesses, the website is not serving a core newsagency product category. That’s not a bad thing. I mention it, rather, as an indicator that the newsagents involved have chosen for their online focus categories not historically traditional for our businesses.
There are also plenty who have gone online and not achieved success yet. It takes time and commitment – websites are hungry beasts.
Online today is a bit like the gold rush in Australia in the 1800s. Unregulated and frenzied. Online is packed with opportunity though and this is where smart retailers, and smart newsagents, are winning.
Through online, newsagents have an opportunity to play away from the shingle and through this to gain experience and relationships that can be leveraged for the shop, or not – depending on the plans for the business.
The most important benefit about online is the ability to drive additional revenue with any additional labour or occupancy costs. This leaves more GP on the table for the bottom line.
Surge in foreign language newspaper sales
While the dataset is too small to declare a statewide or national trend, there is an indication that foreign language newspaper sales are surging. If this is a trend, it’s good news for newsagents as we are the go-to locations for these niche titles. Their success is our success.
Looking only at high street located newsagencies, newspaper sales overall are up. The actual number varies considerably between locations.
Within the newsagency sales data, sales for international / foreign language newspapers are up the most, by far, in every business I looked at.
In one high street store, for example, overall newspaper unit sales are up 11% in the April to August months of 2020 compared to 2019. Foreign language titles are up 29%. They account for 12% of all newspapers sold.
My suggestion to newsagents is – check data to see if this is the case. Leveraging this, you could consider:
- Promoting foreign language on social media. I suggest one title per post. Include a photo of the newspaper.
- From time to time, placing them at the counter.
- Looking at what sells with foreign language newspapers. This basket data can be insightful.
- Considering expanding your foreign language title range.
- Ensuring you offer appropriate allied product.
I get that focussing on low margin product that accounts for 12% of a small product category may not make sense. However, it is in these niche areas where we can encourage valuable shopper loyalty.