Convenience World spoke to Australian Lottery and Newsagents Association (ALNA) CEO Ben Kearney during National Newsagent Week.
Please comment on the importance of small businesses in the community and the key messages during National Newsagent Week.
The theme of National Newsagent Week 2021 is ‘community’, and we’re honouring our newsagents and all small businesses who are persevering and continuing to serve their communities through Covid. The pandemic has proved how vital small businesses like newsagents are in supporting their communities, in particular older members of those communities. The resurgence in local shopping, particularly as it’s a necessity in lockdowns, is making neighbourhoods more vibrant again.
There are approximately 3000 independent, family-owned news and lottery agents in Australia. It’s an industry that employs more than 15,000 people, and all these businesses are incredibly embedded in their communities.
Newsagents are leaning into their communities to support them as everyone is shopping local, and they appreciate the support they’re receiving from the community.
Please comment on the collaboration with ‘Go Local First’ and key messages.
Go Local First is an initiative of the Council of Small Business Organisations (COSBOA) funded by the Commonwealth government and ALNA is a member of COSBOA and ambassador for Go Local First.
The campaign seeks to remind consumers how their purchasing decisions are critical to how successfully small local businesses and their employees rebound from the pandemic, recognising that even businesses that are open as essential services, like newsagents, have fewer customers, and many other businesses haven’t had the opportunity to remain open, and it’s important that we rally behind those businesses as well when they reopen.
Go Local First supports National Newsagent Week for this reason: shopping local helps your community and the people who live in it.
Read the full interview in the September/October issue of Convenience World.
