A blog on issues affecting Australia's newsagents, media and small business generally. More ...

Another regional newspaper set to close

This social media post from the West Wimmera Advocate from 5 days ago tells a heartbreaking story for the small local publisher.

EDIT 17.8.20: We are going to print this Wednesday 19.8.20. We are still working to find a (sustainable) solution for upcoming weeks. Please note if we don’t go to print we risk losing government grants, along with jobs for staff and ourselves and most importantly – the voice for our community. Working on COVID/Border documentation as well as current edition.

ADVOCATE TO CLOSE: Unless there is some kind of miracle the next edition of the Advocate will be our last. After months of ‘soldiering on’ for the community with constantly changing restrictions, and more and more rules in order to do business, the announcement by the SA government to impose a hard border is the final straw. I don’t have the energy for negotiating a new print arrangement on top of everything else.
Sorry, but I am burnt out.

I am calling on all readers both side of the border to lobby against this rule. There are no cases in the 40km zone. There have been no positives due to cross border communities in SA. It seems to be driven by a desire to reduce asymptomatic testing costs.
I don’t know if Dan Andrews can pick up the tab, Scott Morrison or anyone else. But this is going to be the final straw for families in remote Victoria who have been doing the right thing and already have Stage 3 restrictions affecting everything.

EDIT:It is not just about physically collecting the paper. It is about the huge burden to provide timely, factual, useful (and interesting) information in a remote part of Victoria. After 5 months feeling like in a constantly shifting war zone, I just don’t know how I can help my readers without complete burn out. Why are rural border communities left to sort the mess alone and largely forgotten. I am sorry I am just so tired.

While one media organisation has been gifted $10M from federal government Covid funds, independent newspapers are months away from receiving anything from the loudly announced federal government support.

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Newspapers

Indie magazine publishers looking for alternative routes to market

I’ve been contacted by more indie magazine publishers in the last 2 months about distribution to newsagents than in the last few years.

Five publishers have contacted me asking how to supply newsagents direct. There are new, launching titles, and two are existing and looking for a direct to retailer relationship.

Each conversation was interesting. It is fascinating hearing from niche title publishers. Their passion for their special interest is usually terrific.

Each of the five I have recently spoken with wanted a good relationship with newsagents. Better margin was on offer as well as flexibility for those prepared for firm sale.

Given the strong sales for niche titles, it is interesting to consider opportunities that may flow from direct supply. The challenge, of course, is the cost of managing hundreds of individual accounts along with the soft of using post to deliver titles.

Some niche titles have capacity for margin and this is where there may be opportunity for alternative supply arrangements.

Two of the titles are regional and fit with the interest today in nesting. One was arts related, writing, specifically.

Footnote: I suggested to each that for efficiency of management, distributing through Ovato was probably the best approach. I noted that while it was imperfect, it worked for plenty of publishers.

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magazine distribution

Fascinating BBC Murdoch documentary

I am grateful to have been able to see all 3 episodes of the BBC documentary about the Murdoch media empire. I am sure Australians will be as fascinated when it eventually airs here. Newsagents, especially will find aspects of representation of the business familiar.

I found the first episode on YouTube:

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Newspapers

The GP% value of unique gifts

Further to my post yesterday about GP%, this display is a good example of  the objecting in action on the shop floor.

This is 50%+ GP stock that no other retailers near by stock through which we are pitching outside what is traditional for the business. It is opposite female cards, ideal positioning for the ranges represented.

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marketing tip

More newsagents act on newspaper content

The Kamala Harris ‘cartoon’ in The Australian a few days ago was racist and grossly offensive. On seeing it, I asked the staff at my own shops to remove it from sale. While I agree we should not act as censors, sometimes we have to take a stand. What The Australian published web too far in my view. I felt better not selling it. I don’t care what others think, this was the right decision for me.

In Scotland, The Scottish Sun has come under fire over the last 24 hours for its coverage of the train tragedy. The image is a copy of the front page from August 13, 2020.

This News International newspaper appears to approach ‘news’ in a manner similar to some papers here in Australia.

On Twitter, there are reports of newsagents not stocking the title:

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Ethics

The evolving gross profit % story in the newsagency

The traditional retail newsagency business has, for many years, delivered a GP% of between 28% and 32%. As I have noted here before, growing this is key to sustainability of and value from the business. I continue to suggest 40% as a reasonable mid-point goal.

GP% is a good indicator of the position in evolution of a retail newsagency. 

Looking at data for a small group of individually owned newsagencies, 13 businesses, it is terrific seeing GP% at just above 40% of non agency turnover. In each case, the business has deliberately pursued GP% growth.

Growth in GP% offers a cushion for any business where sales of lower GP% items are falling. In the case of our channel, it helps with falling sales of newspapers and magazines.

Growth in GP% is achieved buy selling higher GP% items and achieving growth in the sales of these. The core of this sits with what you buy, the inventory you source for the business, as well as the price you can purchase for, and, finally, the price you can achieve for the inventory. Each of these 4 points matter in equal measure in my view:

  1. Sourcing good higher GP product.
  2. Buying at the best possible price.
  3. Selling at the best possible price.
  4. Driving sales of higher GP% items.

This is harder that it looks. Take point 2, for example. It is easy to be forceful in a price negotiation. It takes more care to achieve a good price without damaging the long term relationship with the supplier.

Point 4 is about re-casting your business to attract new shoppers. This is part social media, part online and part in-store. It takes time to achieve and has to be done in a way that does not harm the core traditional products in the business.

This discussion is really about being a retailer, which is different to being and agent. It is about being deliberate about business decisions, being focussed on the goals of the business in terms of profit, sustainability of the model and value as would be assessed by any possible purchaser of the business.

At the core of all of this, in the context of a retail newsagent, is change … leaning into change, chasing it, in fact, change in terms of product mix so as to achieve a change in terms of shopper mix and through that growth in GP%.

Back to the 13 businesses I mentioned earlier. In each case, GP% is growing because they are selling higher GP% items, more of them and less of lower GP% items. Their business are financially healthier as a result. This is happening because of deliberate decisions they have made.

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Newsagency management

Red Nose Day

We are grateful to support Red Nose Day in-store and on social media today. This is an important charity with excellent community connections. Even in locations with lockdown situations, customers engage positively with the counter pitch in support of fundraising for the charity. As many newsagents done for years, we purchase remaining stock.

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Social responsibility

Sales rep visit frustration for newsagents

Newsagents have connected me in recent weeks about reps visiting without an appointment. In several cases, the reps are from businesses not currently supplying the newsagency businesses they have visited.

In my view, a rep turning up without an appointment should be asked to leave.

Retail has changed as has selling to retail. Reps on the road walking into businesses in the hope of establishing a face to face connection that leads to sales are something of the past. Their turning up unannounced naturally gets retailers offside and damages any potential relationship.

I am not going to name suppoliers here as some are precious and known to threaten action.

The purpose of this post is to re mind suppliers reading this that unannounced visits are not appreciated. Indeed, in the current situation, they present a health and safety risk. I have posted this on behalf of newsagents who have asked.

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Ugh!

Is there a supply issue with Darrell Lea Dad’s Bags?

Darrell Lea Dad’s Bags have been a Father’s Day staple for years. They have been a net beneficial traffic driver for retailers. Sales have always been excellent. They have an excellent reputation and are much loved.

This year, several newsagents have let me know that their supply of Darrell Lea Dad’s Bags has been considerably cut, saying they were advised that supply to everyone was cut. On checking, some other retailers have advised of no impact on supply at all.

The question retailers appear unable to get a straight answer to are: Why was my Dad’s Bag order cut? and, Will I be getting more stock? and, What is the basis for the cuts to some businesses and not others?

The frustration being felt by retailers with 20+ years experience with the Darrell Lea brand is understandable.

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Social responsibility

Kudos Australia Post for supporting their retail network through Covid

Kudos to all involved at Australia Post for the terrific support they have shown their franchisees through Covid. Regularly, they send care packages of masks, hand sanitiser and wipes, for no cost and without them being ordered.

This is excellent and helpful service, enabling their retailers to be well stocked for maintaining a safer workplace and retail store and having items on hand to give to customers in need, as I know some have done.

Everyone involved at Australia Post has good reason to be proud.

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Social responsibility

Coles ditches catalogues, goes digital

In a blow to printers, catalogue distributors and local delivery walkers, supermarket giant Coles has announced it is quitting print catalogues.

This decision by Coles will have a knock-on impact as their catalogue business has been important to that sector. Their continued engagement with the catalogue medium has, I suspect, encouraged others to continue with the medium.

The Coles departure will result in more departures, challenging long term viability of catalogues.

With so many more easily accessible pathways to consumer engagement available now, the death of the print catalogue was a matter of time.

It will be interesting to see what happens with catalogues inserted in newspapers. Given that the Coles experience is not theirs alone, it stand to reason fewer businesses insert in newspapers.

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Social responsibility

Free workshop: taking your business online

Through my POS software company I am hosting this free workshop via Zoom today:

Taking your retail business online from start to finish.
Wednesday August 12 @ 10:30am.

At Tower Systems make awesome specialty POS software for speciality retailers. We also make awesome Shopify and Magento 2 websites connected to our POS software.

Join us Wednesday August 12 @ 10:30am AEST for a free live and interactive workshop on taking your business online.

We will share insights, advice and experience from websites we run for our own shops and sites we have created for others.

We will talk design, smart text, SEO, SEM and other buzzwords, but we won’t use buzzwords. This will be a plain English workshop. We will be honest about the hungry beast that is a website.

The workshop is free. Just turn up. Click on this link:

https://zoom.us/j/92448828358?pwd=cllQSWFaRitJSkQwSUNYYy9ZTks1dz09
Meeting ID: 924 4882 8358 Passcode: 196319
Wednesday August 12 @ 10:30am AEST.

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Newsagency management

What does the future look like for retail newsagents and indie retail businesses?

Are retail newsagencies closing due to COVID-19? I see no evidence of this. While I am aware of a couple of business owners saying they closed due to Covid, these businesses were on a trajectory to closure long before the outbreak.

In my experience and based on data I have seen, gift shops, jewellers and hospitality businesses are more likely to close due to Covid than newsagents. I am aware of plenty in these channels that have closed, businesses that were trading okay and not on a trajectory to closure.

By trajectory to closure, I mean data in year on year comparison – revenue and profitability were declining before Covid, showing the business to be on a trajectory to closure unless it took drastic action to play against the trajectory.

Most retail newsagents, particularly high street, regional and rural newsagents are doing well through Covid. It is rare to find one not doing well. And, by well, I mean with year on year revenue somewhere between -20% and +33% – yes, that is the actual range I am seeing reported.

Of the 150+ I have spoken with that are doing well, all had diversified in one or more ways, attracting non traditional newsagency shoppers, driving up overall GP% and broadening the appeal of the business. And, by doing well, I mean they did not qualify for JobKeeper.

The retail newsagencies more likely to not come out of Covid well are those in shopping centres, especially those without online revenue and those that have not pivoted enough. Covid has laid bare the risk of their the traditional newsagency situation of low margin agency lines and an ever growing operating cost base.

The good news for the channel is the successful pivots undertaken. There is the traditional pivot to gifts. then, there is the less traditional and often equally or more successful pivot to coffee, cafe, toys, games, homewares, baby, outdoors, electrical, locally made, services and more. Successful pivots usually involve 2 or more of these categories.

Covid has brought into focus the need to evolve. This need is not new nor are the suggested changes new. Indeed, they have been discussed and debated here for years as well as at conferences and workshops. indeed, the first time I laid out the need for fundamental change in new traffic categories was at the ACP Magazines Connections conference in 2005.

Newsagents who want help to pivot can speak with a marketing group. A good marketing group will offer options for consideration, new traffic opportunities, execution training and platforms through which you can discover new shoppers. This work is all basic to any engaged marketing group.

What Covid has brought into focus is new opportunities for the channel. These are in the form of new suppliers as well as new operating practices such as being online, offering click and collect and bundling. I see these as positive for those for whom they are new.

While the channel has evolved and continues to evolve, newsagencies are here and are strong. The biggest difference today is in the types of businesses that consider themselves to be under that shingle.

Now, if you plan to comment that it’s doom and gloom, I say, again, there is no evidence of this, no matter how much you may want there to be.

The newsagency channel is filled with plenty of good news, which we should celebrate.

Footnote: I expect Covid will result in a fundamental change in areas including occupancy cost, a shift, for some, out of malls and on to the high street, access to new suppliers and, maybe, changes to employee arrangements. These and other areas of change will lead to fundamental recasting of retail, business and our channel.

Note: My information comes from my software company, Tower Systems, which serves 1,700+ retail newsagents, my work with newsXpress members, 220+ retail newsagency businesses, newsagency suppliers and others.

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newsagency of the future

Greeting card sales the best of challenged categories in stage 4 locked down Melbourne

It’s been another weekend of reasonable greeting card sales in Melbourne with all other categories challenged. In my own experience, checking basket data, people are buying 2, often more. Some are buying and many as 10 in a purchase. There is good caption depth in the basket too.

Whereas card sales crashed in the early days of COVID-19 in March, this time around sales are down but they have not crashed. This is based on data from a handful of stores.

There is no doubt that the situation is ‘helped’ by other card outlets being closed. That said, even our regular card shoppers are purchasing more. Father’s Day card sales continue to be strong.

More broadly, though, in Metro Melbourne newspaper sales have declined significantly, 50% in some cases, more so than magazines, which are down too.

Stationery is doing okay with home office supplies and similar necessities doing well.

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Greeting Cards

Wet magazines for some newsagents in NSW

A newsagent sent me photos this morning of their wet magazines delivered via the News Corp. truck. It appears to be a feature of the trucks that they are open, with product not plastic wrapped subject to getting wet, like the entire shipment of magazines for this business.

You’d think that the folks in charge of the change in logistics arrangements would have ensures that the quality of service provided did not drop as a result of the change. Apparently, not.

This is the third time magazines have arrived wet in the newsagency that shares the photos with me.

People will not want to buy product that presents like this:

Rectification of the problem is a challenge. Gone are the days a rep would get in the car and personally deliver replacement stock.

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magazine distribution

New product opportunities as a result of COVID-19

There has been a surge wholesalers who have previously not pitched to newsagents reaching out to the channel as a result of the second wave of Covid-19 infection in Victoria. By surge, I am referring to 4 of which I am aware, wholesalers who previously did not deal with the newsagency channel who are now happy to embrace.

This is good news I guess as it can offer product range expansion opportunities. It is a challenge, too, as we need to con sider every product opportunity carefully and in the context of how we see our businesses and the types of shoppers we seek to attract.

With traditional gift shops closed in Melbourne and the vulnerabilities of that niche retail channel laid bare since March this year, it is no wonder that wholesalers are looking for other outlets for their products.

Some wholesalers are looking to offload overstock while others are looking for retail partners of the long term. While media reports have been about shops closing, wholesalers closing is a whole other thing. It is prudent to do due diligence on a new wholesaler for your business before taking them on. Knowing their longer term prospects is important.

It seems that every week is presenting new opportunities and challenges. Overall, I think this is a good thing. It’s allowing plenty of us to evolve our businesses, in-store and online, faster than may have been the case in a more traditional 2020.

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newsagency of the future

Banjo Patterson coin set sells out

The Banjo Patterson coins and set released by the Royal Australian Mint a few days ago has sold out, creating a frenzy of shoppers chasing product, begging, offering to pay above SRP.

Some shoppers are regulars who buy coin magazines, while others are new shoppers chasing these coins and other mint coins we stock.

It’s fascinating watching this surge unfold in the middle of such an unusual retail situation as we have in Victoria right now. It’s a terrific good news story for an important and growing category in-store. Collectible sales are growing, not only in coins but in other segments too.

we have been in the mint coin space for a while and it is a valuable and growing part of the business, working well in-store as well as online. Indeed, re online, coins are an easily portable gift and that matters in 2020.

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Newsagency opportunities

Selling hugs in the newsagency

Here is what we have had behind the counter for the last couple of weeks at one of retail newsagencies. This is what shoppers see when they are at the counter. People are pointing to the one they want, happily adding to their purchases, on impulse.

It has been working a treat. Shoppers love that they can choose without touching and knowing that others, too, have not touched. They also love the Squishmallows product as it is a perfect huggable gift in this moment in time when hugs are not possible – here in Melbourne at least.

That wall beyond the counter is more important than ever here in Victoria as we can use it to drive impulse purchases with tactical placement, such as with these Squishmallows.

Plush sales were up 25% in July across Australia, not only in newsagencies but in other retail channels as well. I think this is because giving a plush item is like giving a hug.

Tactical placement at the counter is key to leveraging the opportunity. Try it.

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marketing tip

News Corp Q4 results

News Corp has just released its fourth quarter and full results. For the Australian and newspaper part of the business for Q4:

Within the segment, revenues at News Corp Australia and News UK declined 31% and 22%, respectively. Adjusted Revenues for the segment decreased 22% compared to the prior year.

Circulation and subscription revenues decreased $22 million, or 9%, compared to the prior year, which includes a $10 million, or 4%, negative impact from foreign currency fluctuations. The remainder of the decrease was driven by lower single-copy sales revenue, primarily at News UK, as a result of COVID-19, partially offset by digital subscriber growth and price increases.

And, for the full year:

Within the segment, revenues at News Corp Australia and News UK declined 16% and 13%, respectively. Adjusted Revenues for the segment declined 10% compared to the prior year.

There is also this re COVID-19:

News Media: We have seen, and expect to continue to see, adverse effects on advertising and single-copy sales revenues. Advertising revenues in July at the newspaper mastheads declined 25-30% in total compared to the prior year. As a reminder, advertising revenues in the prior year included results from News America Marketing and the suspended community titles in Australia. The overall decline in circulation volumes moderated in July from the lows experienced in April and May, particularly for the weekend papers. We continued to see strong growth in digital subscribers in July compared to the prior year at the Australian mastheads and at The Times and Sunday Times.

The Company continues to take various steps intended to offset the impact of COVID-19, including by reducing variable costs and implementing cost-savings initiatives across its businesses, with a particular focus on the News Media segment. For example, the Company is implementing a shared services program to centralize a number of functional areas. While it is still evaluating the cost savings opportunity from this program, the Company expects to recognize annualized cost savings of at least $100 million beginning in fiscal 2022.

The ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the extent of adverse impacts on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition, is highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.

The figures have just dropped. there is sure to be plenty of analysis, especially by competitor outlets.

In terms of COVID-19 it is interesting to see their commentary about their own business and to reflect on this in the context of their shrill and changing commentary which is often shouted at the public. If only their reporting and ‘news’ stories were as reflective and considered as what they write about themselves.

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Media disruption

Early learnings from stage 4 in Victoria

The early days of stage 4 restrictions in Victoria have offered up some learnings others may find useful.

  • Shoppers are less tolerant. People have a shorter fuse, leading to more outbursts of anger in-store.
  • People are stocking-up. Cards, crosswords, games, jigsaws … these and some other categories are benefiting. Take cards, for example, several times over the last 2 days we have seen people buy 10+ cards in a purchase, so they have what they need for the next two months.
  • Jigsaws continue to be a hero category.
  • People want easy. They like gift packs, ready to buy.
  • Impulse at the counter works. Easy to understand products at the counter are working.
  • Father’s Day is early. Yes, I have noted this previously. sales are good.
  • People want more. Shoppers are asking for products not usually stocked, products they would get elsewhere but those stores are closed.
  • Online is hot. Yes, I’ve said this before. Interestingly, sales volume later at night is up.

I suspect that outside of Victoria, businesses that are online are seeing growth in sales for delivery into Victoria.

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Newsagency management

What is click and collect and how can newsagents offer this?

With stage 4 lockdown now in force in Victoria, there is considerable more attention on click and collect given that it is noted in the lockdown provisions.

Click and collect is where a shopper purchases online and collects the purchase curbside or at a designated contactless collection point from the business.

Click and collect operates through websites, like Shopify, that are connected to the POS software of a business, thereby managing inventory through one dataset, eliminating duplicate work and ensuring accurate stock on hand data.

The even safer solution in stage 4 is home delivery whereby people purchase online and have the goods delivered, contactless, to their delivery point.

Smart newsagents have been offering online purchases, including click and collect, for years. I have been talking abut it for years here, at conferences and at workshops.

I first offered click and collect in my own newsagencies in 2015. It quickly became an important offer in each business, helping to attract folks who otherwise might not have shopped with the business, usually from another state but also locally when it comes to click and collect.

Click and collect allows someone to purchase at midnight, securing what they want, paying for it and having it ready for quick and safe collection the next day. It’s smart in that online shoppers have their wallets open when. online. It’s a race to the cash in many respects and offering click and collect, or delivery, is key to winning that business as convenience is paramount.

Today, I know of many newsagents operating click and collect through POS software connected Shopify sites. While some have WooCommerce (WordPress) sites and Magento sites, they are small in number, Shopify is the main game in town for many excellent reasons. Note: my view on Shopify is not personally commercial in that I use and have used all 3.

In this corona impacted 2020, having a click and collect offer is good disaster planning, it can provide the business a framework through which ti can continue to trade, which matters as the stage 4 regulations are showing.

The big challenge for newsagents is suppliers. Not all, but certainly plenty, make data feeds to online challenging. Suppliers need to be more organised with images, data feeds and more. There are others, like TheLott, that block online altogether.

Whether you like it or not, click and collect is here to stay. It is a core offering of any engaged retail business today. Start by talking to your software company. For anyone interested, I created an online questionnaire for retailers from my POS software company to help them work through their needs. Once you fill this in, it sends you your responses, for your own records and consideration.

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Newsagency management

Tabcorp ASX announcement

Since some folks are commenting elsewhere, here is the full announcement by Tabcorp yesterday:

Expected non-cash goodwill impairment charges and FY20 preliminary unaudited results

Tabcorp Holdings Limited (Tabcorp or Company) today announces that, following the latest review of the carrying value of its assets and in accordance with relevant accounting standards, the Company expects to incur non-cash goodwill impairment charges in the range of $1,000 million to $1,100 million(1) in its financial results for the year ended 30 June 2020 (FY20) (2).

The non-cash goodwill impairment charges relate to the Wagering & Media and Gaming Services businesses. They reflect an assessment based on underlying assumptions which take into account, among other matters:

  • the direct impact of the Government and other measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic on these business’ operations;
  • the possible acceleration of retail contraction and uncertainty regarding any longer term impacts as an indirect result of the pandemic;
  • the level of competitive intensity and structural changes in the Wagering & Media business particularly in a digital centric market; and
  • the potential decline in consumer confidence and increased economic uncertainty.

    The goodwill impairment charges are non-cash and do not impact the Company’s financial covenants with its lenders. The book value of goodwill for these segments at 30 June 2019 was $2,945 million.

    In addition, Tabcorp announces that it currently expects FY20 EBITDA (before significant items) to be in the range of $990 million to $1,000 million (FY19: $1,124 million) and net profit after tax (before significant items) to be in the range of $267 million to $273 million (FY19: $396 million).

    Final FY20 results, including the goodwill impairment charges, are subject to completion of the external audit and Board review and approval of Tabcorp’s FY20 financial statements.

    Tabcorp’s Managing Director and CEO, David Attenborough said: “COVID-19 has materially impacted our Wagering & Media and Gaming Services businesses. We are facing into a challenging and uncertain environment, and the current operating conditions and those expected into the future are relevant factors in assessing the value of the goodwill in those businesses at this time.

(1) No tax effect. Assessment includes the impact of allocated corporate assets. (2) The Company’s final audited results will be released on 19 August 2020.

“We remain confident in the strength and resilience of Tabcorp’s diversified portfolio of assets and are pleased that integration is now substantially complete. We are focused on supporting our people and partners during these challenging times while ensuring that Tabcorp emerges strongly post COVID-19.”

This announcement was authorised for release by the Tabcorp Board of Directors.

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Lotteries

Resources for retail businesses in Stage 4 in Victoria

  1. Permitted worker scheme. Any employees travelling to or from workplaces or for work in any part of the Melbourne stage 4 lockdown will need to have a permitted worker permit with them. Click here to access the Victorian Department of Justice page that details this.
  2. The Victorian government has expanded its business support grants of $10,000 and $5,000 for stage 4 for Melbourne and stage 3 for regional areas Click here for details and to apply.
  3. Workplaces need a Covid Safe plan. Divergent government websites say this but are inconsistent on the detail. In my own situation we created a one pager that we can point to and have this located in the office, which is open. It’s backed by more comprehensive information in the business at appropriate points.
  4. Click here for the detailed document outlining what’s in and what’s out.
  5. JobKeeper. The government website is open for July data, meaning payments will flow in the next few days.
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Social responsibility

Victorian small business retailers adjusting to stage 4 restrictions

Speaking personally. Owning a business that remains open in the Melbourne metro stage 4 lockdown can be a good feeling, for a moment, a brief moment, and then you realise all the businesses around you that will close.

Every local retail business is part of a community, an ecosystem, of businesses and people who rely on those businesses. So many colleagues will be home and out of work, with shops close. Some will have prepared and have an online operation through which they can trade. however, I suspect the majority will not.

Right now, I wonder if 6 (or more) weeks on we will see the announcement yesterday as a phyrric victory.

It is odd considering this through the prism of owning businesses that get to remain open. I didn’t expect this to be the case. It is good, but challenging.

Back in the first weeks of March we planned for this. We were frugal with spending, backing only winners, prepping for what might come. That work, back then, has made the path ahead more certain for us and provided the capacity for us to pivot, again, through the new stage 4 situation.

Looking at this more broadly. The rest of Australia is starting to see the role businesses in Victoria play. This is reflected in the detail of the government announcement yesterday.

In our channel, with all major card companies and many major gift, toy, games and plush suppliers supplying through Victorian based warehouses, the impact could have been far worse.

The reduction in warehouse teams will slow supply, but not stop it. I think key will be timing of ordering. retailers are well advised to add a buffer to the order cycle. For example, if you usually order Wednesday for an early the next week delivery, pull that forward by at least two days and include a buffer so you are not left without stock.

In the Melbourne metro area, there are opportunities for retail newsagencies to offer products other local retailers cannot. Toys, games, gifts, homewares all fit within this opportunity space. However, engaging with these opportunities will need respect and care so as to not damage other local relationships. Nimble suppliers will embrace this opportunity for relationships with newsagency businesses, some, maybe, for the first time.

The rest of Australia. Outside of Victoria, I expect that stage 4 in Victoria will impact the psyche of Australians as it offers a more local case study on dealing with the ramifications of people with corona being close to others.

As someone living and working in metro Melbourne, it is an unexpected and weird experience. However, like plenty of 2020, it is something to understand and deal with.

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Social responsibility
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