James Blog

Paid Digital Subscriptions grow

Sun, 12 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Paid Digital Subscriptions Grow

The latest figures I have seen shows there has been good growth in digital subscriptions in Australia, most of this coming from The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian and The Age.

I know that I get a lot of my news in the form of a digital subscription, but this is tied to a physical weekend delivery where the 7 day digital subscription is offered free. I wonder if this is how they manage to report increases in readership and uptake of digital subscriptions? As much as an 86% from last years figures apparently !

What does this all mean? It tells me that consumers are getting their fix in many different ways, absorbing news and entertainment through a multitude of media. So, in order to stay relevant to our consumers we need to adapt our offerings to them to include all different means of delivering their daily or weekly fix.

How do you do this? A good question isn't it? The problem is being able to offer a variety of solutions efficiently and economically. if you are expecting me to have this solution today, I will sadly disappoint, however I strongly believe there is "more than one way to skin a cat" (as they say) and opening conversations and news ways of thinking could bring many of these solutions together.

I also note from the same article I read that the two major weekly magazines, Woman's Day and New Idea have experienced substantial increases in circulation, which is a great news story showing that print media is not dead yet. In fact, niche magazines continue to buck the trend and have steady readership increases. Interestingly this does not surprise me. Although I am happy to get my news digitally (SMH App) I much prefer a magazine for special interest and dare I say it... gossip.

Reality TV helps with magazine readership too, Better Homes & Gardens being the best example I can think of where a TV show promotes the magazine and the magazine the TV Show. Brilliant marketing !

Although I have not focused much on solutions here, I would like to close with a couple of observations.

Support the Weekly magazine titles in your store with good placement and displays.It makes a lot of sense to support a brand/product that is doing well in the market.

Seek new innovations and products to ensure your retail store appeals to the changing consumer. This can be as simple as selling iTunes cards, gift cards and the like through your electronic terminals, right through to stocking E-Readers and tablets, or smart phones.

The next step is to encourage the publishers to provide Digital Subscription packs to sell at a retail level. What better place than the same store consumers use to buy their newspapers and magazines today?

Life Companion

Wed, 01 May 2013 05:55:00 GMT

Life Companion?

Or just a very "Smart" smart phone

Samsung have released their latest onslaught to remain at the top of the pack in world domination of the smart phone market.

Strong words I know, but Samsung is the largest technology firm in the world, by revenue, and in Australia outsells Apple 58 percent to 36 percent in the smart phone arena.

This latest iteration of Samsung's premium handset introduces many new features like eye motion sensors that will pause video playback if you look away from the screen, and restart playback when you look back.

There is also premium navigation, 'Air Gesture", a 13 MP camera, Quad core processor and a beautiful 5 inch Hi resolution screen.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 sells for $899rrp. Check the video below.

Getting Dressed with Technology

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:48:00 GMT

Getting Dressed with Technology

Ever wondered if all the clever things you see on TV and at the movies about our future might actually came true?

Space travel back at the beginning of the 20th Century was something in a Comic book, photographs and films had only been around for a very short time, and the car was just starting to make its presence felt in very small numbers.

Fast forward 100 years, and the mobile phone is a reality, integrating into our lives and becoming an important part of our social activity.

Well, the next step takes us even further further into the future, and quite quickly. The iPhone has only been around for just over 5 years now, and the next 5 years as opposed to the last 100 will see technology advance 10 fold.

Google have recently announced their new Google Glasses, that stream the internet straight to your glasses, take photos and videos, and even offer a heads up map and navigation. This is not the future, this is now, and Google plan to start selling Google Glasses this year.

Add to this the Smart Watched that are appearing now, which I blogged about on 7th March, and wearable technology will soon be the norm.

Lets just hope it does not go too far though!

Samsung Galaxy Express

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 13:00:00 GMT

New Samsung Galaxy Express

Samsung are the leaders in Smart Phone sales world wide, and they obviously plan to keep it that way. Unlike Apple, Samsung offer a huge range of smart phones to satisfy just about any market and consumer.

Due to arrive this month, is the new Samsung Galaxy Express. What is is that sets this phone apart from a crowded range?

Other than the 4.5 inch Super AMOLED display, S Beam, FREE Navigon Voice-Guided navigation, 8GB internal memory and 4G LTE connectivity, its the price that sets this phone apart for value. Only $499 rrp for a 4G enabled Unlocked Samsung smart phone with these credentials is very impressive.

At this price you would think there are a number of compromises compared to the Galaxy S3 from Samsung, and you would be right.

However, the fact that it has a 5MP camera, as opposed to 8MP for the S3, and a slightly less impressive processor, there is no denying the value equation.

At $499 compared to the S3 4G version at $799 the Samsung Galaxy Express makes a good case for itself.

Dick Tracy - Look Out!

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 04:50:00 GMT

Dick Tracy - Look Out!

Some years ago, those that are old enough to remember, will have read the Dick Tracy Comics or watched the cartoon series on TV. The younger ones might recall the 1990 Dick Tracy Movie starring Warren Beatty and Madonna. Was that really 23 years ago????

Us oldies will remember how impressed we were that Dick Tracy communicated with his chief using his two-way wrist radio, way back in October 1931 when the comic strip debuted in Detroit.

I know I wanted one!

Now there are rumors surfacing that Apple are working on the iWatch, and you can bet these rumors will prove to be true. My bet is it will be released sometime this year.

For people that don't want to wait, there are already a few "Smart Watches" available, although not quite mainstream yet. The best I have seen so far is from Sony. This clever ANDROID compatible Smart Watch uses Bluetooth and advanced applications to provide Facebook & Twitter feeds, incoming call and SMS information, and will even let you control your music on your Smart Phone.

Sony's very clever Smartwatch is quite good looking and priced at around AU$150.00. It is fully compatible with Sony's range of Smart Phones, and adapts well with most Android phones.

Have a look at Sony's web site to read more about it

You may not actually talk into it... yet, but it is the next best thing for people who like to be up to date and discreet at the same time. Checking Facebook feeds couldn't be easier. Although, thinking about it, maybe starring at your watch all the time will draw attention to the fact you have a Smart Watch, and who wouldn't want to show that off?

The future is closer than we think, and when Apple launch their version we can be sure that just like the iPhone took smart phones to another level, so too will the iWatch.

Trystan gets his new Lumia 620

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 01:31:00 GMT

Trystan gets his new Lumia 620

Recently, I wrote about the new Nokia Lumia 620 Smart Phone running the latest Window Phone 8 operating system. We were exited about the release of this phone, and now that it has arrived, one of our staff decided it was the phone for him.

Below, is Trystan's comments about the Nokia Lumia 620 Smart Phone.... don't forget, only $299rrp

"I recently picked up my new Unlocked Nokia Lumia 620 & couldn't be happier.

Set up was speedy as I already have a Microsoft account for Xbox Live & once running the phone does so quickly & apps run smoothly.

City Lens is a fantastic feature as it lets you look around you with the camera & see points of interest which you can then select for map directions & contact details.

Kid’s Corner is great for those who want their children to be able to play with phone games and apps but you also don’t really want them accidently messaging or calling someone. You can choose what apps are available from the settings menu & getting there is as simple as swiping left from the lock screen before swiping up. To get back you just need to lock the phone again but to return to the phone proper you have to enter in your unlock code.

One of the best things though is how helpful the phone is. If you’re trying to work out how to do something ie. Make a new ringtone just click get more & it will take you to the Windows Phone 8 How-to page for adding ringtones to your phone with step by step instructions.

To import music, photos & videos onto the phone you can sync the phone through the windows phone app it will prompt you to download or if you’re lazy like me simply dump the music you want into the music file on the phone or preferably the micro SD card & the phone will convert them as needed.

All in all at $299rrp UNLOCKED this phone is a great value mid range smart phone & well worth picking up."

A New Twist for your Phone

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:49:00 GMT

A new Twist for your Phone

The next thing to hit the market that will make a change to the way we view our mobile phones is the bendable screen. It may be still a few years before we see mainstream devices with bendable screens, but what this new technology does mean is that because the screens are made from a very thin plastic type material, unlike glass, they will also be virtually unbreakable.

The possibilities are enormous. The blending of a phone and Tablet into one device, with an opening screen, or even rolled up screens that can be released at the touch of a button.

There is even rumors that Samsung's next Galaxy (S4) could utilize this technology as early as April this year to offer an unbreakable screen, and Apple are experimenting with bendable screen as well.

If these two power house technology companies get behind this technology we will see bendable screens before we know it.

Check this video for a glimpse of the future.

What a Turn Off

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:00:00 GMT

This April, we start to get serious about turning off the Analog television network in Australia.

I know most of you in the bush and regional Australia will ask why am I talking about something that took place years ago? You see, analog TV in many regional parts of Australia was turned off back in 2010, and yes, that's as much as 3 years ago now.

How time fly's. In fact, test transmissions for Digital TV started way back in 2001, and some of us will remember that large screen Televisions started seeing the light of day, or a dark room for that matter, sometime around then as well.

Ofcourse, in the early naughties (did I spell that right?) if we wanted a large flat screen television then we needed a friendly bank manager. Prices for this early technology were as much as the cost of a family car. But that didn't deter Aussies, because we love technology, love things big, love sport on the tele, and love to have the latest... don't we?

I digress, because aside from chatting about old Analog versus new Digital TV, what is important about the switch off of analog in our major metropolitan cities is the fact the switch off mans a whole load more "Spectrum" and bandwidth becomes available for other use.

That other use is currently ear marked to provide 4G (LTE) Mobile phone services, which although are already introduced by Optus and Telstra, more space is needed in the airwaves to bring 4G services to everyone in Australia. How quickly things change.

These are the main remaining switch off dates so if you have not got yourself a fancy new digital flat screen television, then it's time you spoil yourself and family. Better do it now, because you will need to start saving for your shiny new 4G mobile phone.

All of this technology got me thinking about our copper network for phones, developed and built starting way back in 1854, and bringing hi-speed internet today. This is soon to be replaced by the NBN.... but this is another story for another time!

Windows 8 makes a Splash

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:10:00 GMT

Windows 8 makes a Splash

There is a lot of talk at the moment about which is the best "Smart Phone" and which is the best operating system for your smart phone.

The answer is of course not definitive, but what I can tell you is that Nokia, once the worlds largest and best selling phone manufacturer is not simply lying down and letting the likes of Apple and Samsung take all of the market in the smart phone market.

Evidence of this is what I consider to be the best value smart phone on the market... the brand new Nokia Lumia 620.

This handset offers some of the best features you could want, and at a VERY competitive price.

These features include: the latest Windows 8 operating system, which is proving to be an exceptional user interface and perfect for business user and social use a like. Add to that a fast 1GHz Dual Core Processor, 3G Quad Band, for all Aussie Networks, a bright 3.8 inch screen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 5MP Camera.

All of this, and more for only $299 rrp makes this great value.

Check it out here

using Facebook to promote your sales

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 09:28:00 GMT

Using Facebook to Promote Sales

Many newsagents and small businesses are adopting Facebook to promote products, or promote their unique selling propositions. That is the particular marketing difference you offer over your competitors, whether they be next door, down the road, or across the globe from an online store.

The first trick is to identify your unique sales propositions, and promote this to your customer base. With the use of Facebook, you can also quickly expand your target audience by "selling" your unique propositions to your existing followers who will in turn share this with their friends, provided your offer is strong and maybe, you even reward customers for "talking" about your business....sharing your post with their friends.

Next thing to do is follow through with the promotion. This is how you tie it all together. with not much effort, you can advertise like the big players. It's simple really... what ever you post about on Facebook, back it up with in store displays and promotions.. You local printer can help here. all you need is to provide them with your Facebook post, and chances are they can turn this into and A3 or A2 poster. Simple and very effective!

This may sound all a little vague at the moment, but i think an example will serve be best here.

Let's use the example I have taken here. The Universal Mobile Phone Car Mount, retailing for only $19.95 is a great example of a products that offers value in a simple and easy to use manner.

Recently, in NSW, new laws came in to restrict the use of mobile phones in cars. These new laws mean that a driver cannot use a mobile phone at all, to receive or make calls, unless the phone is securely mounted in the car.. We sold lots of these when this law was introduced late last year, and so did our retailers.
To take advantage of this, post about the new laws and the Universal Mobile Phone Mount on your Facebook page.
Add something quirky... like the value of $298 (Based on the fine applicable) and offer the product for only $19.95!
See your local printer, and get some posters made like then one I just did above.
Display these posters in store as soon as you post on Facebook.

The result is, you have a relevant Facebook Post, that your customers will understand and value, and when they come into store you will remind them why they came in with clever in-store point of sale (POS). Chances are they will see value in this and re post on Facebook to their friends... or better still, offer them an incentive while in your shop. Maybe a 20% discount on the product if they "share" your post with their friends.

Mixing it with the big guys takes initiative...and drive... not lot's of money.

Happy retailing.

Confused about Mobile Networks in Australia

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 23:53:00 GMT

Confused about Mobile Networks in Australia?

One of the things that is a little difficult to get your head around as a retailer of Prepaid and unlocked Mobile phones is the different bandwidths (frequencies) that Australian networks use, and what phone suits what network.

I get a lot of retailers asking me about this, so maybe it's time I explained it a little here, hopefully in really simple terms.

Firstly, we need to remember that Prepaid Mobile Handsets are generally "LOCKED" to the network they are sold on. In other words, if you sell an Optus Prepaid Handset, like the Optus Samsung Galaxy Mini for $99 to a consumer, then this handset comes supplied with an Optus SIM and is locked to Optus, so will not accept a SIM from Telstra or Vodafone.

Telstra Prepaid and Vodafone Prepaid handsets are also usually locked to their respective networks.

You can arrange to unlock Prepaid Handsets, but there is a fee charged by the carriers for this.

Unlocked handsets are just that... sold outright and not locked to any particular network, but this is where it starts to get a little tricky, because the carriers use slightly different bandwidths to deliver their mobile network service.

There is good news here though, because the cheaper unlocked handsets, like the Samsung E1170 ($39rrp) or the Nokia 101 DUAL SIM ($49rrp) operate on 900 and 1800 Mhz bandwidths, which are supported by all the carriers. This simply means that these cheaper 2G handsets will operate with any SIM from any Australian carrier, provided that carrier is providing a 2G service in the area.

When we talk about 3G, it gets a little more difficult. Telstra uses 850 & 2100 Mhz, Optus uses 900 & 2100 MHz, and Vodafone currently use 850, 900 & 2100 Mhz. However, the phones Vodafone generally sell are 900/2100.

What all this means, that when selling an unlocked 3G handset, it is important to know what network the consumer is planning on using, or is currently using.

Many unlocked are sold in two versions... like the Nokia C2-01 for $109rrp. it is available to suit Telstra (850/2100) or Optus & Vodafone (900/2100) So you need to stock both if you are going to keep your customers happy.

Higher end unlocked handsets like the Nokia Asha 300 ($149rrp) and HTC One V ($319rrp) and Samsung Galaxy S3 ($779rrp) are QUAD Band, and operate on 850/900/1900/2100 bandwidths, so these unlocked handsets are perfect for all Australian networks.

Of course there is the introduction of 4G now, which puts another spanner in the works, but hopefully things might get a little less confusing with 4G in a few years.

Currently, Optus and Telstra are both utilising 1800 Mhz for their 4G services.

All the carriers have stated they would like to use lower bandwidths, and will be bidding for the 700 Mhz spectrum when it will be auctioned off by the Government from April 2013. This bandwidth currently provides analogue television, and is the reason we have had to wait for the analogue TV service to be switched off before the Mobile Carriers can bid for this spectrum.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact e here, or via email... james@jenlist.com.au

They are Listening

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 02:23:00 GMT

They are Listening

I was listening to the radio in the car the other day, to a Dr Karl phone-in segment. He started talking about 'Project Echelon" and my interest was peaked. So I did a little research, to discover that most of the phone calls and SMS we make are being monitored and listened to.

This does not really surprise me in this day and age, but what was a surprise is the realization that this has been going on since about 1956, yet was not exposed until 1988 by investigative journalist, Duncan Campbell.

There are at least 10 'listening" stations around the world, two of which are in Australia, intercepting phone conversations, SMS and emails around the world. These stations operate on behalf of 5 states signed by the USA-UK security agreement: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK and the US.

Spying is not new, and we all know that the modern spy came about due to the Cold War during the 1950's and 60's. Even back then, satellites orbiting the Earth were listening in and intercepting conversations. If you like the James Bond movies, you will get a taste of Cold War spying.

Today, eaves-dropping on SMS and Mobile phone conversations is part of the norm. The good news is, if you have nothing to hide then you don't need to worry. Those people listening are not interested in your mundane life, even if it seems really interesting to you and your friends. They don't care that you are cheating on your partner, or sneaked away from work pretending to be sick. They don't even care about the car you stole. What they are listening for is much more important than the day to day goings on.

It's about National Security... a cliche I know.

I actually feel a little safer knowing that "Project Echelon" has my back. I hope you do to.

You can Google "Project Echelon" and learn a lot more about it if it has sparked your interest, like it did mine.

How will u celebr8 SMS

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 22:25:00 GMT

How will u celebr8 SMS?

This week we celebrate the humble SMS message.

Yes, it has been 20 years since the first SMS was sent by a British software engineer, Neil Papworth. That message was just two words..."Merry Christmas"

In Australia, SMS was first introduced in 1994, but only with the ability to receieve mesaages, and not reply or send.

Finally in April 2000, our three carriers launched inter carrier SMS for contracted customers and in the following year progressed to include SMS services on Pre-Paid Mobile.

I remember questioning Optus repeatedly about when SMS would be available to Pre-Paid customers and we saw a huge spike in PrePaid handset sales when it was launched. Naturally this corresponded with affordable phones capable of sending and receiving Text Massages. How quickly technology progresses!

Hard to believe that in 12 short years Australians now send more than 36 billion text messages per year. If we consider an SMS is typically charged at 25 cents, that's $9 Billion in Text messages. Although this sounds a lot, in actual fact most carriers now include FREE or unlimited SMS on their contracted plans or Pre-Paid.

So, here is a toast to the humble SMS message. Do you remember sending your firts Text? Did you confuse "LOL" when you first saw this acronym?

Samsung Versus Apple - will there be a winner?

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 03:24:00 GMT

Samsung Versus Apple - will there be a winner?

The Global War between Aplle and Samsung continues to create news and split the community as to the side they support.

If the latest sales figures are anything to go by, I would have to believe Samsung is winning, selling more Galaxy S3 phones than Apple are selling iPhones. This is an interesting turn, as previously comparisons were being made between the "one model" Apple iPhone and multiple models from Samsung. They have more than a dozen Smart phone models that compete in this market. Now, the comparison is directly between the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Apple iPhone 5 and the latest figures show the Galaxy S3 outselling the iPhone 5.

But, as well know, figures can be a little deceptive, and depending on who you speak to you will get a different set of facts.

A recent survey by comScore has Samsung as the top manufacturer by sales in the USA with a 26.3% market share, followed by Apple with 17.8%. Google have continued their steamroller ride gainging points in the Smartphone platform, now with 53.6% market share. Apple, by comparsion holds 34.3% market with their iOS operatig system.

I know these figures are from the USA, but this is usually a pretty good judge of where Australia is, or is heading. There are many people I know that have been Apple Die-hards, inssisting the iPhone is the smart phone to have, that have recently switched to Android because of the Galaxy S3, or are looking to switch soon.

Have a look around when out and about, and I am sure you will notice more and more people using Android Smart Phones versus Apple Smart Phones. About 3 Android to 2 Apple, as a mattter of fact.

The war will continue, both in the hands of the consumer and in the courts where Apple and Samsung have fought out a very public war in an attempt to block one and other from selling their products.

Which Smart Phone do you use, and why?

Silly Season Selling

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 05:47:00 GMT

Silly Season Selling

I like to call it the 3 esses of sales, but for many reasons, not just because we are approaching the silly season.

Now that there are 3 new millionaires in Australia each with $28 million, thanks to the record breaking OZ Lotto draw this week, and a further 35 people with $800k thanks to a syndicate they were in, let's see if we can find a way for these people and others to part with the hard earned or easy come by cash in your shops.

1) 'tis the season. It's the start of the holiday season, and that means people are starting to think seriously about Christmas and what gifts they are looking to buy friends and family.

2) Stock. (that's another "s"). It's time for you to make the most of this period and provide your customers with the the things they want, need, or even think they don't want. Christmas shopping is often about finding something that is a little different, or might just suit the person you have in mind perfectly. Have you been listening to your customers? It is a very powerful tool, listening. They are the best ones to tell you what they want or are looking for, so go out of your way to engage with them. You want them back don't you?

3) Space. (another 's", but I cheated a little here) I am talking about the space you allocate for sale items and displays in store. It is not easy to get the best mix of display space but it is important. Move stock around too, to keep the shop looking interesting. Especially seasonal product you may have just got in for Christmas. Don't just create a display of Christmas stock and leave it there for weeks. Move some of it around. Move the entire display. Highlight some products in more than one area and think about marketing products together like the latest Better Homes & Gardens magazine with your display of ornamental gifts, or Tech Life magazine with your Mobile Phone display.

4) Suggest (Yep, another one) This is about suggesting, and being confident of your own skills and that of your staff. Retailing is about suggestion as much as meeting a need. After all, shopping is about gratification, and a good retailer provides that. How many times have you suggested an item to a customer, and they end up thanking you. This is because they want personal attention and the feeling you are there to help. Remember, if they are in your shop chances are they are there to spend. Help them do just that.

5) Stock (I know, I used this already, so now it's my second) You can't sell what you don't have, so make sure you work with your suppliers to ensure you have the right stock, plenty of it and options to get more quickly if you need. Suppliers should also help with appropriate point of sale and advertising.

6) Speak. talk with your peers and industry partners. Find out what works for them. Compare notes. It is human nature to help one and other, so embrace this and learn and teach all at the same time. You have a lot in common with other retailers, so share.

HAPPY RETAILING.