Category: social responsibility

It feels like we are all holding our breath

It feels like we are all holding our breath, wondering if 2021 will repeat 2020, as we wait to hear the numbers of the day.

The number will be what they are. What we do know is that we can do out bit to stop them growing. That’s why we are cleaning, sanitising and wearing masks … for you, and for us.

The rapid closing of borders was a surprise, yet understandable. However, it feeds into anxiety some feel.

We will do everything possible to provide for you a safe and happy place to shop, so 2021 is more like you hoped.

We are optimistic. Living in Victoria, we have been here before. We know what Victorians can do, what all Australians can do. It’s simple really … wear a mask, wash your hands, keep your distance, discover some delicious new recipes, enjoy jigsaws and talk more on the phone.

Together, we can show this shadow of 2020 that it’s not welcome in 2021.

When 2020 began

When 2020 began, we were in the dark about what was coming for us, for all of us. We had our resolutions, plans and hopes. We had our cherished dreams.

We were unprepared for how 2020 would play out.

The hopes and dreams we started the year with were soon forgotten as the pandemic took over the news, our businesses, our home life and our focus.

2020 sure has been a year.

Looking back, we see heartbreaking human loss and economic challenges, which, sadly for too many, continue today.

Looking back, we also see many wonderful achievements.

There are the big pieces like the 1,000s of scientists working together to create vaccines in record time, people and businesses fundamentally changing how they work and politicians, for a moment, setting aside traditional differences to actually do good.

There is the good news of whole communities working together to ensure people remain safe and to get the numbers down.

In small business, where we spend much of our time, we have seen wonderful acts of kindness, extraordinary local shopper support, greater resilience and deeper community connections. It has been a joy to hear stories of locals consciously shopping locally and genuinely being interested in product sourcing.

We have all learnt so much about ourselves this year, what we can do, the differences we can make, new friends we can serve.

As the sun sets on 2020, we are grateful for this year, for the opportunity to be part of it and to be here, at the end, stronger and grateful for what 2021 will offer.

Happy New Year. May your 2021 be healthy, happy and filled with gratitude.

newsXpress concerns about Australia Post magazine trial with Are Media

Are Media is trialling the sale of selected top-selling magazines in a group of corporate stores owned and run by Australia Post, a government protected and owned monopoly.

This trial by Are Media could adversely impact small business newsagents. It could encourage people to stop shopping their local family owned newsagency and, instead, shop at their government owned post office.

Mercury Capital, the Are Media owners, have been announced as underwriting a rights issue for Ovato (OVT). Ovato controls magazine distribution in Australia.
We are concerned that the Australia Post relationship is a step toward reducing magazine revenue for small business newsagents.
That a government owned and run enterprise is being gifted this opportunity to the detriment of small business newsagents is most concerning.
We can see the possibility of Mercury grabbing the magazine distribution business from Ovato, further strengthening the Australia Post relationship and small business newsagents being a further risk.
Australia Post continues to encroach on what small business newsagents sell. Recently, Australia Post got Lego product – we suspect because they are government owned and protected. Newsagents struggle to get access to Lego even if they have an awesome toy department.
This is a local small business story. It is an important story. One you will most likely not see covered in mainstream media.
The local family run newsagency depends on local shoppers for magazines as a core traffic generator. The Are Media move puts that at risk.
While innovative newsagents are evolving their retail businesses to be less reliant on magazines and related legacy newsagency products such as newspapers and stationery, magazines remain core to the average newsagency business. They are important.
Leveraging government monopoly protection to take magazine revenue from a newsagency to a Post Office would, in our view, be detrimental to small business owners and to the community more broadly.
We call upon politicians to look into this and into the general retail operations of Australia Post more broadly. They need to focus attention on what this protected monopoly is doing to the harm of local family businesses – all for the profit of the government.
Ideally, questions will be asked as to why Australia Post needs to sell magazines. It’s a postal service. The Act under which Australia Post operates is clear.