James Blog

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? 

 

 

ANF Awards Prove Progress for Newsagency Industry

and the winners are:-

2012 Retail Newsagents of the Year – The Hickey family, Nextra Chermside, Qld
2012 Distribution Newsagents of the Year – Ivan and Josie Casagranda, Pascoe Vale Distribution, Vic
2012 Employee of the Year – Maxine Cattanach, Seymour Street Newsagency, Vic

2012 Technology Award – Tracey and Doug Otter, Queenscliff Village Newsagency, Vic
2012 Industry Supplier of the Year – John Sands
2012 Lottery Outlet of the Year – Fairfield Gardens Newsagency, Qld

 

Swat that Fly !

    Lots of talk about newspapers being replaced by the online digital revolution, but there are some things you just can't replace.

Some of you may have seen funny advertisement before, but I figured it is worth sharing again.

Anyway, this may be a little funny, but what is really happening is suppliers and retailers are adjusting their businesses to suit a new era of consumer. News in particular, is delivered in so many different formats that consumers have more and more choice to get the news they want... be it watching TV, listening to the radio, reading a newspaper or having one of those clever little "APPS" feed news to your Fly Swatter like the one seen here. 

We have had a lot of calls from newsagents since the announcements made by Fairfax and News Limited recently, wanting to adapt and evolve.

Good on you I say.

 

South Australian Newsagents Awards

    On the 3rd April the South Australian Annual Newsagents Awards were held at the Donato Reception Centre, Adelaide.

    Our National Sales Manager, Simon Davidson,  attended the evening and presented the "News Technologies" Newsagents of the year to Phil and Leonie Jenner, owners of Port Mall Newsagency. Congratulations !

    A big thank you once again to Colin Shipton, ANF SA Branch Manager for again organising this years awards celebration. The night was an overall success and enjoyed by all attending.

 Simon Davidson(left) presenting the "New Technologies Award" to Leonie and Phill Jenner

Below is a list of the category winners from the 2012 SA Newsagents Awards:

Western Union Best New Site:
Victoria Square
Western Union Top Performing Site:
Arndale Kilkenny

Jenlist New Technology Newsagent of the Year:
Runner –up- Peterborough
Winner: Port Mall

Promotion of the Year:
Ardrossan

Industry Representative of the Year:
Allan Oman- Fairfax Media

Service to the Industry:
Graeme Hand Ancol/ Newspower

Best SA Lotteries Newsagent:
Kylie Browns

Newsagent Employee of the Year:

Nel Middleton- Mount Barker Central

Distribution Newsagent of the Year:
Blackwood Newspaper Delivery Service

Retail Newsagent of the Year:
Peterborough

 

 

 

 

 

 

Newspapers and Mobile Recharge?

 

    There's a lot of talk about where newspaper sales are going... on line, home delivery, shop sales. I have read that the publishers are not sure which direction to head, where to offer their support, or indeed where their business will be in the short and long term future.

    There's also a lot of talk about Mobile Recharge... the decline in sales in some areas, while other retailers grow recharge sales.

    I see there is some similarity between Newspaper sales and Mobile Recharge sales. this is because I believe sales of such convenient items are really up to the retailer. It's one thing for the publishers or the Telco's to produce a product that creates demand at store level, but like any product being sold at retail, newspapers and recharge need the support and push from the retailer. After all, isn't that what retailing is about?

    Promoting and driving sales in store is a part of day to day business in today's retail environment, and store owners and managers that have forgotten this fundamental sales tool are the one's that will be watching sales slip away. Don't get ne wrong, I have seen lots of good retailers out there, working hard on improving sales, keeping a clean tidy shop and looking for new products and ways to drive sales.

    However, I think it is important to remember that core products still need sales effort! It's easy to focus on new products, and even easier to forget about the products that used to sell themselves. We are in a competitive retail market where there is little or no loyalty between shops in centres or strip shops.

    As a retailer, it is up to you to promote and drive sales of both new lines and traditional core lines. Don't complain about the decline in newspaper sales, rather, do something about it. Simple things like knowing what the headlines are in todays paper gives you the opportunity to open discussion about the newspaper at the counter, allowing you to recommend a purchase that may have been missed.

    Mobile recharge is another often forgotten product that has been around for years now, and typically most retailer wait to be asked. I think you should "prompt" the sale with a simple question. "Would you like some Mobile Recharge while you are here?"

    I am simply trying to point out that in today's busy environment, it is easy to forget what retailing is all about. It's hard work and demands constant focus.

    I would love to hear your thoughts about retailing... what works and what doesn't. Have you a good news story you would like to share with fellow retailers?

 

Take a break.... on Lovatts.

    Thanks to our very good friends at Lovatts, the premier Australian and New Zealand crossword and puzzle publishers, Jenlist Distributors is proud to bring you our daily "Wordsearch" absolutely free!

    Lovatts Crossword & Puzzles was established by husband and wife team, James and Christine in 1978 and has become well known for the best puzzle books in the industry, loved by consumers and retailers a like.

    Newsagents around the country have been supporting the large range of Lovatts Crosswords & Puzzles for many years, and speaking from experience, I can tell you the Lovatts range are great sellers... a welcome product for any newsagent or retailer. Their fabulous puzzles can be found not only in the range of books published by Lovatts but also regularly found in Woman's Day, Women's Weekly, the TV Week and many other well known publications. When flying on Qantas Lovatts Puzzles feature in the Qantas magazine.

Well done Lovatts, another great Australian family business ! Thank you for adding to our web site and giving our valued retailers a break.

Check out our daily Lovatts Wordsearch here and check the Lovatts Web site. www.lovatts.com.au

 

 

newsXpress conference builds for the Future

This years annual newsXpress Conference builds towards a future for newsagents. Members were treated to the comedic genius of Elliot Goblet as MC and enjoyed a day packed full of useful forward thinking information.

This was supported with the announcement by Jenlist Distributors of the winners of the Virgin Broadband Promotion run by Jenlist Distributors, Virgin Mobile and the Nexus Program.

newsXpress consumers won 2 x Motor Scooters valued at $5,000 and lucky newsXpress Sandgate took out the major store prize... riding home on their own brand new motor scooter.

Jenlist also awarded $1,500 in cash and gave away 3 x Samsung Galaxy 10.1 Tablets valued at nearly $2,000.

Just goes to show the value of getting involved and enjoying the exclusive promotions available through partnerships like those between JENLIST DISTRIBUTORS, newsXpress and Pacific Magazines.

PS: newsXpress Sandgate just called after hearing the news of their win.... very excited ! (unfortunaltey they were unable to attend the conference). This is their 3rd major win with Jenlist Distributors. Shows the power of a store willing to get behind promotions and give anything a go... well done Jim and Rebecca!

 

GNS Brisbane a Hit !

 

The final Group Newsagency Supplies (GNS) Trade Fair for 2011 was in Brisbane last weekend, and like the others in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, the Jenlist team were pleased and excited to see so many of our newsagents visiting our stand. The hot items this year at GNS from Jenlist Distributors proved once again that newsagents are "thinking outside the square" when deciding on products to stock in their shops.

Prepaid Mobile Phones continue to lead the pack, closely followed this year by LED torches, car chargers, computer accessories and iPhone 4 cases. Mobile Broadband continues its running strength experiencing 66% growth year on year. 

Thanks to all the newsagents that take time out of your busy schedules to visit us and say hello.

A very special thank you to Newsgents that travel so far to attend the GNS Trade Shows. Many of you coming from far distant country areas is an inspiration and highlights the strength of the newsagency industry. Well done !

See you next year.

 

2011 National Newsagents Awards - Winners Announced


    The best of the best gathered at the Melbourne Conference Centre in Melbourne to celebrate and honour newsagents across the country.
    Pictured above are Tracey & Ian McVea from newsXpress Beechworth in Victoria accepting their award and prize money for  the 2011 "New Technologies"  Newsagent of the Year

    The national winners for 2011 are :-

        Retail Newsagent of the Year - Doug & Tracey Otter, Queenscliff Village News - Victoria

        Distribution Newsagent of the Year - Coral Giles & Marten Beyer, Somerton Park Newsagency - SA

      Technology Newsagent of the Year - Tracey &  Ian McVea, newsXpress Beechworth - Vic

        Employee of the Year - Ella Butler from Morisset Newsagency - NSW

 

ANF Conference Highlights Unity
    The Australian Newsagents Federation (ANF) annual conference was held at the Crown Conference Centre in Melbourne earlier this week.
    A full program on both Monday and Wednesday were close to full, with an enjoyable Golf Day on Tuesday to let delegates unwind.
    Jenlist Distributors are proud to be the Platinum Sponsor at this years event, and values our relationship with newsagents around Australia.

    I managed to speak to almost everyone during the 3 days and was pleased to hear comments from newsagents like "best confernce in 6 years" and "unity is back".

    Congratulations to the ANF team for a well organised and highly successful conference.