How much do you pay?

cavework

Thanks MCLF .. this would be part of my target market. ( no offence)
How much do you pay for delivery if you don't mind me asking ?

MCLF

cavework wrote: »

Thanks MCLF .. this would be part of my target market. ( no offence)
How much do you pay for delivery if you don't mind me asking ?

None taken.
I'd have to check the bill, but I think it's 10p a day. That's for 6 deliveries a week, in the morning. One paper each delivery day, except on Fridays when he gets the local paper too. He chooses to not have a Sunday paper.

Our two local paper shops closed, leaving us without a delivery service, but there were enough people around us to make it worth another paper shop taking us all on.

We don't live in sheltered accommodation or anything similar, and our neighbours are of all ages.

Annisele

I've been getting my newspapers from Amazon recently.

I think your idea is a total non starter I'm afraid. I say that because: businesses in your town used to offer the service; those businesses still exist; but none of them offer the service anymore. If there was any profit in it, I'd expect that at least one of the newsagents would still do the delivery service.

lincroft1710

There is probably still a demand for this, but because it will be a limited demand and may be logistically difficult (small concentration over a large area) it may not be practicable. Also at e.g. 60p a week, this is over £30 a year and could be seen as an unnecessary luxury by people on a tight budget.

Unless they're fortunate enough to have paper delivered before they go to work, most rail commuters will buy paper at station. Many office workers and tradesmen will buy a paper at lunchtime or when they "just pop out" to get some vital part. Many others like myself never buy/have stopped buying a paper, either watch news on TV or read on line version of paper.

Hardcopy newspaper sales have been in rapid decline for some time, delivered newspapers are going the way of the doorstep pinta. When did you last see a milk float?

Is it possible to ask the shops who delivered why they stopped delivering? An apparent gap in the market may be because the market doesn't want the product or it is no longer viable.

motorguy

cavework wrote: »

Because there may be an opportunity to look at starting a newspaper delivery service in my area...
Small business etc??:)
I have identified a gap in the market.
I am now researching the feasibilty of this market (my post on here) which I hope people will respond to
I have also done research in my area regarding competition (none)
I have had no financial outlays so far..
It is called business research before committing texranger and it is the sensible way to see if a business idea is worth persuing.

But is there a market in the gap?

Your idea is a non runner. The *only* possible gap is rural areas BUT you will never get a cost effective way of delivering to houses possibly a mile or more apart for maybe 10p a paper.

Having a daily paper is a luxury. Having a daily paper delivered is wayyy down the list. My dad was a milk man years ago. It all died as people were in their local getting petrol / bread / etc / etc every day / week anyway and often at a discounted price, so the need just disappeared.

If people dont need a milkman, they certainly dont need someone delivering newspapers.

motorguy

cavework wrote: »

For your paper to be delivered or how much would you be willing to pay
Does anyone still have a newspaper delivered on a daily basis?
Our home town no longer has this facility as none of the news agents offer it.

Have you asked the news agents why they dont do it?

I'd say a friendly chat for a few mins would confirm WHY its a non runner these days.

paulwf

pgilc1 wrote: »

But is there a market in the gap?

Exactly! Lets assume there is demand, and lets also assume for sake of arguement that the delivery charge just breaks even.

That leaves the profit to be had from actually selling the magazines and newspapers themselves. Sure you'll make some money and it will be a steady stream but do you really want to get up ridiculously early and be at the mercy of teenagers to actually turn up and do the job properly? You have to satisfy the customers 364 days a year come rain or snow, you could end up never getting a lie in and never getting a holiday just to make £20 a day. As an additional income stream this would be fine but as you'll be committed to it every day apart from Christmas Day I think I couldn't be bothered

Edited to add: when my parents had a newsagents they had a few issues with non-payers. A few of these will wipe out your profit and cause a lot of stress.

motorguy

paulwf wrote: »

Exactly! Lets assume there is demand, and lets also assume for sake of arguement that the delivery charge just breaks even.

That leaves the profit to be had from actually selling the magazines and newspapers themselves. Sure you'll make some money and it will be a steady stream but do you really want to get up ridiculously early and be at the mercy of teenagers to actually turn up and do the job properly? You have to satisfy the customers 364 days a year come rain or snow, you could end up never getting a lie in and never getting a holiday just to make £20 a day. As an additional income stream this would be fine but as you'll be committed to it every day apart from Christmas Day I think I couldn't be bothered

Edited to add: when my parents had a newsagents they had a few issues with non-payers. A few of these will wipe out your profit and cause a lot of stress.

+1

THEN you're into the realms of getting paid. Your customers wont predominantly be available to pay their weekly / monthly bill when you're delivering them, which means another trip round all your customers to get probably 80% of the money in.

Seriously bad idea.