History
Newsagencies have been a fixture of the Australian retail landscape since the early 1900's and they remain a highly successful small business to this day. The word newsagency is one of the strongest generic names in Australian retail and everyone knows what a newsagency is and what to find in a newsagency.
Newsagencies are a central part of many communities and are a strong locally focused retail business. Newsagencies are specialist retailers of magazines and newspapers. Newsagents sell over 80% of magazines sold in Australia and are the consumers' destination point because of their range of titles. Newsagents also sell many other products, including lotteries, greeting cards and stationery.
The newsagency industry in Australia is made up of some 4500 businesses which, together, represent the biggest retail and home-delivery network in the country. These businesses turn over some $6.5 billion per annum and serve 2.5 million customers each day!
Historically, newsagents were appointed by a committee made up of publishers and given an exclusive and protected territory. This meant that newsagents were given exclusive rights over a territory and did not face any competition. In 1999, this system was abolished by the ACCC and the local newsagent faced more competition. The change revitalised the industry, which had generally become a bit complacent, and encouraged a more entrepreneurial approach.
While many newsagents have bemoaned these changes and wished for things to change back to previous times this is no longer the economic reality. Suppliers are driven to increase their sales and want to work with proactive retailers. Similarly, customers are constantly shopping around for better service, products, and value from retailers. A more competitive and challenging retail environment has made it more difficult for independent retailers with limited resources to meet these challenges. This is why the Supanews franchise was created.
Supanews understands the challenges facing newsagents today. Supanews has created what it believes to be the best business model to meet these challenges and succeed. Supanews' vision is to create a stronger and more robust newsagency model and to provide franchisees with a more manageable and profitable business.