Category: social responsibility

Small business retailers are nimble and able to lift local economies faster than big businesses and certainly better than online businesses.

Here are six tips for politicians on steps they can take, decisions they can make to help lift retail, especially small business retail, as well as those local businesses with which small business retailers can quickly connect.

1. Local shops refresh grant. Give every local retail business a grant of at least $25,000 with the stipulation that it is spent locally (at least within the state or territory) on capital works for the shop, to improve the shop. It could be for painting, carpentry, electrical, new aircon, new carpeting, staff training or similar. Proof of local spending in the form of an invoice from a local tradesperson or small business company with and ABN and more than a year of trading as recognised by the ATO – to avoid fraud. The management of this should be online with quick approval and payment. Note: the $25,000 is suggested to provide sufficient local economic stimulus.
2. Local visual merchandising support. Keeping in-store displays can be a challenge for small business retailers. Fund a network of merchandisers to make a 2 hour call weekly on qualified independent small retail businesses, sub $1M retail product turnover (i.e. not including agency), ABN registered, trading for six months or more. With each visit to be about visual refresh of the shop. Cap the campaign at six months and then assess the economic value. Only local merchandisers to be used – i.e. not an overseas agency who hires local contractors.
3. Local artists grants. Offer cash grants to fund buskers for local high streets, to make shopping locally more entertaining. Make the application easy. Focus on local artists entertaining in their local community. This serves the dual purpose of injecting cash locally as well as fostering the local arts. The application process should be online, approval fast and payment immediate.
4. Direct all politician electorate spending to be with local small businesses. For printing, subscriptions, gifts, parties, cards, everything for a year purchased through a politician’s electorate to be through a a business in their electorate. Have the results assessed independently. Ensure that spending is fair, too, to benefit a variety of local businesses, and not dolled out as political favours. Shop local, shop small.
5. Run a national shop small shop local ad campaign. Make it educational, smart, encouraging … guiding Aussies on the value to them from shopping local, shopping small. Help to understand the true value of shopping local, shopping small compared to the alternatives. The ad campaign should run regionally across multiple media platforms, giving preference to locally owned platforms with a track record for not managing their business to minimise tax. Yes, Amex does this. We need a campaign that is not credit card supported.
6. Establish local currency systems. These work overseas on regional towns where local currency has more value than the national currency. It supports shopping local through a smart value structure. the government role could be on the tech back end to manage the currency – taking away capital cost from local councils. To find out more ab9out this, read up on the Bristol Pound.

This list could be much longer. It is offered here as a start, to get people thinking of practical ways to support shopping small, shopping local.

Corona is challenging the economy. While I am no economist, I suspect that giving money to people likely to spend it quickly and spend it locally would be good for the economy and at a pace that is helpful to overall economic performance.

This is all about boosting local.

Here we are in the last week of October 2020 newsXpress continues to provide practical help for small business retailers, for happy and successful trading through the Covid pandemic which is still with us.

Our advice in support of safe retailing has helped our local Aussie retail community of stores trade well since Covid first hit early this year.

From cleaning practices, to shopper engagement protocols, to store layout, to online sales and to safe business management principles, our suggested approaches have been working.

While news and media outlets seem to focus on negative stories, there is plenty of good news for retailers that have proactively engaged in smart and safe retail management in a Covid normal world.

We wish there was more coverage of the good Covid related news stories from small business retailers, like newsXpress stores. Stories of success as a result of sound business decisions and following best practice.

From helping our retailers get even better pricing, to early engagement with out of store marketing, to spotting trends ahead of the crowd … these are key points of assistance from newsXpress in its help for small business local newsagents and their own Covid pandemic journey. They are part of the story that has helped newsXpress stores to be well placed in trading conditions.

First with jigsaws. In February we pitched jigsaws as a growth category in a Covid world. Our members grabbed inventory, and achieved excellent sales.

Online with jigsaws. In March we turned on a national jigsaw website connected to newsXpress stores to win delivery and click and collect sales. It’s been a hit.

First with nesting. In March we identified nesting as a popular growth category. Members following our advice have added thousands of dollars in revenue.

New suppliers. We have brought on 27 new suppliers in recent months, almost all of whom have not previously dealt with newsagents.

newsXpress is grateful for the opportunities of 2020 and grateful to its community of businesses that have embraced newsXpress suggestions and supports. Together we are making a difference this year. Together we are showing that small business retailers working together can create good stories and good news in a world challenges by the Covid pandemic.

We do understand that 2020 is not a good year for many individuals and many businesses. Like any local business, we feel for them. Our core focus, however is on those we serve and those we help feed and shelter. We are grateful to have helped them this year.

Storytime:  This story is on behalf of our fellow local small business owners and their families. Thank you! Thank you so much for shopping local this year, for trusting us with needs that you might have bought elsewhere, maybe closer to where you usually work or maybe even online. Local retailers have seen a surge in local shopping and that is why we are saying thank you. We sincerely appreciate your support and everyone who depends on our business appreciates it, and appreciates you. You have no idea what your help means to us. #grateful #appreciation #ThankYou

2020 has been some year for sure, and it is not over yet. Today, we write to say thank you Australia, thank you for supporting us, for helping us remain open so that we can serve the wider community. Thank you.

We are grateful to have been able to serve you this year and because of this …

We helped keep people informed.

We have served local communities through Covid with shopper safety top of mind.

We have helped people relax by offering awesome jigsaws, crosswords and maker craft items.

We have helped homes remain calm by sourcing beautiful Australian made candles.

We have shone a light on local makers giving them retail outlets for their creativity when local markets closed down.

We have helped with home office supplies.

We have provided support for home schooling by finding resources that help.

We have delivered locally on behalf of loved-ones far away who could not visit.

We have kept local people in work.

So, thank you Australia. Your support means a lot!

Storytime:  “I need a gold pen please.” I looked up to see Jean, an 80-something long-time customer. “I need a gold pen so I can spread some sunshine.” Jean was smiling.

We had this thing where she would tell me part of a plan and I had to guess. I brought several gold gel and felt tip pens to the counter for Jean to try. “Let me guess, you’re going to draw the sun?”  “No, silly. I am writing to each of my grand kids, telling them how much I love them, what they mean to me and how I’ll see them soon. The gold ink adds a brightness to the note, makes it shine.”

After bagging up two pens Jean selected, Jean looked at me for a moment before speaking. “You know, that’s not a bad idea. I might draw a cute sun on each note. Cheerio,” jean said as she was on her way.

We love hearing what our customers do with what they buy, the joy something as simple as a pen can bring.

Storytime:  “This is the happiest gift we’ve seen in ages,” Helen said, putting 4 of the new Silo Art Trail calendars on the counter. Helen and Terry are locals we’ve got to know over the years. They like to shop early for Christmas gifts for family overseas.

“We love that the calendars are Australian made and feature country towns and the wonderful silo art.” Helen was very happy with her purchase. “We’re thinking of doing a trip to see some of them.” Tony was looking over the silos.

“We loved the calendar when we saw it too,” I said. “It’s such a uniquely Aussie gift.” It’s the truth. When we saw the calendar and read the story behind it, it have us goosebumps.

It’s hard to find gifts like this. We are so grateful to the artists and the communities who will benefit from the sale of the calendars.

Storytime.  Bob put his paper on the counter and said “my kid says to me today I’m hungry so I says to him, Hi hungry, I’m dad.” He slapped his hand on the paper and laughed. I couldn’t let this go, so I said “My kid said to me dad, can you put my shoes on. So I said, nah, they won’t fit me.”

Bob started telling the dad jokes a few weeks ago. I found out he was going to different shops telling jokes, giving us all a laugh. Now, we trade jokes regularly. It’s a hoot.

We have the best customers.

Storytime.  “I don’t know what to write.” It’s a common comment people make when buying a sympathy card, more common from guys in our experience. They say it looking for advice. We had a guy in the other day who bought a sympathy card and asked for our help. “My nan died and this is for my mum,” he said putting the card on the counter. “I know a card is the right thing to do but what do I write?”

I offered what we have found to be the best advice. “Write what you’d like your mum to read a few years from now, something that reflects how you feel about your nan and about your mum’s loss. A happy memory maybe. People hang on to sympathy cards and what you write today will be a comfort for her years later.”

Every day we get to talk with our customers about the most personal situations. It’s something to treasure about being a newsagent.

Storytime.  Young Harry was our youngest shopper the other day. He’s 6, because he told us. “I’m 6,” he said, passing up a scrap book to buy. Out of his pocket he pulled two small handfuls of coins. “It’s for my great gran,” Harry said, “we can’t see her and I want to make her smile because she’s sad and I want to make her smile.” Harry was on a mission.

“I bet you’re going to fill it with some good drawings,” I said to Harry, handing back the scrapbook. “And photos,” he said, “we’ve got photos and I made this poster for school, so we are going to stick that in there and I’m going to write her a story, aren’t I mum?” Mum looked on, proud and smiling. “This is going to make her happy isn’t it mum?”

Harry and his mum walked out holding hands.

It makes us feel good knowing that a basic scrapbook we sell will become a cherished keepsake that brings joy.

Storytime.  “Hey, do you have a small pad like the size of a pack of cards or smaller?” “Sure,” I said, and grabbed a couple of pads from our stationery area and put them on the counter, in front of the young guy, “take a look at these.” He flicked through, fanning the pages. “They are perfect.” He was smiling.

I usually leave customers to their purchases. This time, curiosity got the better of me. “Can I ask what they are for?” “It’s my grandma, she’s in a nursing home and we can’t visit on account of the corona as I’m going to make a flip book cartoon for her of her and me hugging.”=

“What a beautiful gesture,” I said, feeling choked up. “I’d love to see it when you’re done if possible.” “Sure,” he said.

A week later he was back. The cartoon was amazing, so creative.

It’s a privilege in retail to serve customers who express themselves in the most wonderful ways.

Storytime.  “Yellow, I need everything I can get that you have that is yellow.” Marie is always a spot of brightness when she visits. “I’m tired of gloominess. I am going to create a bright sunrise in my front window.” She showed us a sketch of what she had planned.

We put together several shades of bright yellow poster card, yellow paper, yellow tissue paper and yellow ribbon. Oh, and a little bit of red tissue paper for the core of the sunrise.

A few days later, we drove past Marie’s house and sure enough, she had created the most beautiful sunrise. Her front window was bright and cheerful.

It is wonderful seeing people like Marie create sunshine.