Stationery sales still slumping.

 

Sales of stationery items through newsagencies decreased by five per cent in the first half of 2024, according to the latest benchmark survey by industry commentator Mark Fletcher.

 

The survey, conducted among 121 newsagencies connected to Fletcher’s POS software company, revealed that stationery sales were down across the overall market but were up three per cent across the top five businesses in the benchmark data pool.

 

“The first six months of 2024 have been tough for the many newsagents. It has been especially tough for those who have not transitioned their businesses to rely less on core product categories like papers, magazines and lotteries,” Fletcher said on his Newsagency Blog.

 

“The group of newsagents most at risk has not changed, it is those with minimal gift, toy and plush products, those not evolving fast enough.

 

“Some traditional suppliers continue to let us down by not actively promoting our channel to attract new shoppers to us. Most newsagents attracting new shopper traffic are doing so on the back of their own local business efforts. Our suppliers need to serve us better,” he said.

 

Here are some key averages for business performance measurement points and categories across the whole benchmark data pool: