Keeping it simple for shoppers
Local shops can make high impact promotions work for them with the application of a little thought - and sticky tape. My thanks to Andy Singh for f ...more
Latest Blogs
Chippidy-doo-daa chippidy-ay
Next Monday sees the much-anticipated arrival of a couple of new snacking products. After a great fanfare from the trade press, Warburtons new range of premium snacks is with us. So will ChippidyDooDaa (four flavours ...more
Reasons to worry about the Apple app store
Is Apple's iTunes a competitor for the local news shop in the UK? Yes, if the "success" of The Guardian's iPhone application is anything to go by. Priced at £2.39, the app gives readers unlimited (at the moment) access ...more
Your greatest gift – imagination
Ranjan Patel used her first speech as president of London's Newsagents Federation this week to urge independent shopkeepers to use their imagination to win business from shoppers. "We can exploit [our shops] by using ...more
Give customers the benefit of the doubt
Local shops handle a lot of cash and need to do this well to keep shoppers happy. I stopped off to fill my scooter with petrol yesterday and after ...more
Newspaper sales fall but profits still buoyant
The national newspaper circulation figures for January 2010 were published recently and showed an annual decline in copies sold almost across the boar ...more
Low prices can be beaten
For corner shopkeepers there are some signs that the major grocers are having a tough time in growing their share of the grocery market. While this do ...more
Nationals look to innovate in face of dwindling sales
National newspapers are, without a doubt, going through a tumultuous period. And unlike the consumer magazine circulation figures released on 11 Febru ...more
Bestsellers guide reveals the weak links in my display
This week Retail Newsagent published their twice-yearly guide to best-selling magazines. The great thing about this type of guide is that it provides ...more
Promotional pancakes
Andy Singh invited me to visit his family shop in Sunnyside, near Gateshead, yesterday, and I spent an enjoyable hour with him talking about business ...more
Diff’rent smokes
Regionality is something that I’ve always found fascinating. The differences in the different products that sell in different places around the coun ...more
Busy street, empty shop
True in part to my New Year resolution, I held a business meeting in an independent coffee shop today just next door to a Starbucks. The cafe was pres ...more
In-depth: How much does a mag cost to sell?
There has been much discussion about poor availability of magazines over the past few months. Back in September I asked 'who owns your shop?' Taking t ...more
