Influence the Industry and Government
The newspaper and magazine industry comprises publishers of newspapers and magazines, distributors (magazines only), newspaper and magazine wholesalers and retailers. Whilst there are relatively few publishers, distributors and wholesalers, there are more than 53,000 retailers and nearly 13,000 million daily newspaper consumers. Some retailers are part of a multiple group chain with head offices that take care of their own supply chain relationships. However, upwards of 25,000 news retail businesses are independently owned and, therefore, have little influence by way of individual buying power, or say of any kind in the supply chain in which they operate. More than 18,000 independent newsagents choose to belong to the NFRN to represent their interests within the news and magazine industry.
As a representative body, the NFRN is not itself a publisher, a wholesaler nor a retailer. Therefore, it has no commercial position to protect, enabling it to focus solely on achieving a fair trading environment within the news industry, concentrated on providing an efficient and cost-effective service to consumers. The NFRN strongly believes that, given a fair trading environment, the professional, specialist, service offered by independent newsagents will place them in a strong position to compete effectively against competition from non-traditional news retail outlets.
Independent newsagents in the UK are responsible for more than one-third of all magazine sales and more than two-thirds of newspaper sales. Therefore, notwithstanding the growth of the multiple retail sector in recent years they are, and are likely to remain, a vital and integral part of the news industry, if the availability of newspapers and magazines to consumers is to be maintained throughout the UK and Ireland.
Self-evidently, news retailers are the customer-facing element of the news industry and they are the “experts” in understanding consumer needs and consumer trends. They are also the first to feel the adverse effects of inefficiency higher in the supply chain that prevents them from providing an efficient and professional service to satisfy consumer demand. However, communication between upwards of 25,000 independent newsagents and the ultimate manufacturer (the publisher) is extremely difficult, if not impossible, in what is the ultimate fast-moving consumer goods market. This is where a responsible Trade Association, such as the NFRN, has a vital role to play in acting as “the voice” of thousands of individual newsagents. Monitoring efficiency within the supply chain, proposing positive new initiatives and working proactively with publishers, distributors and wholesalers to ensure that the ever-changing demands of consumers are recognised and satisfied, is a demanding challenge that the NFRN accepts.
The NFRN, lead by a combination of senior elected officials (who are, themselves, working newsagents) together with highly qualified and experienced staff, are ideally suited to provide the lead within the news industry, not just for the benefit of its own independent newsagent members, but as the consumers’ “Champion.”
Throughout the years and ongoing, the NFRN’s painstaking development of constructive working relationships, and displaying high levels of professionalism have rightly earned the Federation a high degree of respect in the news industry. Responsible use of those relationships have been applied with publishers, distributors and wholesalers to deliver consistent improvements in efficiency and new innovations throughout the supply chain to improve service to consumers.
