Newsagency businesses are selling quickly in today’s business market. They are popular in part because they had a good Covid, in part because of the relative certainty of revenue and in part because of the opportunities of change … which are abundant in 2022 and into the future.
Newsagencies are seen as being a safe investment, because of the multiple options and opportunities for driving value from the investment. But, equally, they are seen as a growth investment as the business is evolved into new product categories.
I’ve seen businesses sell within a few days of going on the market this year – city and country, shopping centre and high street.
This is great news for those in our channel keen to sell their businesses. It is also great news for people looking to invest in our channel.
We are in the midst of a kind of renewal in the channel. New capital, fresh energy, fresh ideas. This is all good for the channel.
What we are also seeing is more change in the channel, less cohesion as to what a newsagency is, and that’s okay.
There’s the core of papers, magazines, cards, and lotteries for most but not all. Outside the core we are seeing more engagement in more recent categories like homewares, niche gifts – not the usual low cost imported gifts but higher price point, locally made and less likely to be in mass retail.
So, it’s good news for newsagents selling their businesses and good news for people joining our channel by buying a newsagency business.
Like any business investment, you get out of it what you put in outside of the money itself, the strategies, energy, mood and embrace of change. It’s terrific seeing some of the fresh ideas coming with new business owners.
Yes, now is a good time to buy a newsagency business. There are good businesses for sale and plenty of opportunities for leveraging growth through them, and therefore a good return on your investment.
Now, before people get in a lather and say the old newsagency is dying, I agree. That purely old newsagency model that relies on legacy products is significantly challenged. But, plenty of older style newsagencies are doing well. These businesses present opportunities to evolve into new traffic and revenue models.
The future for the newsagency channel is strong, bring, valuable … because many of us have embraced change and that is attracting new shoppers with money to spend, new shoppers who are helping us drive up the overall average GP% our business achieves. This change is valuable and wonderful, it is liberating, too.
Mark Fletcher
0418 321 338
mark@newsxpress.com.au
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-fletcher-tower/
