While many businesses are being made to close their doors this week, the Australian Lottery and Newsagents Association (ALNA) says that newsagents will be open across the country.
As the measure to close all non-essential services commenced this week, the ALNA asked the government to consider Australian newsagents an essential service so they can remain in business for now.
“ALNA understands how complex these issues are and we appreciate the government alleviating members concerns and providing greater clarity for all small businesses including our newsagents,” the association states.
“We want to be a strong role model for other businesses in managing social distancing and helping to educate the public about this, all the while continuing to deliver hard copy news and some of life’s basics.
“In particular supporting our older generations who rely on newsagents for their convenience and to many others who either don’t have ease of access to digital news or whose preference is for hard copy news.”
Keeping newsagents open will take the pressure off supermarkets, grocery and convenience stores as many offer food and beverage items and other important household products. Also, with kids now being home schooled, more options for stationery and school supplies will be welcomed by parents.
“With strict cleaning protocols, personal hygiene and social distancing rules in place, and limiting how many customers can be in store at any given time, it’s undoubtedly not business as usual,” says Ben Kearney, CEO, ALNA.
“However, we are working hard to innovate our service delivery and this announcement from the government provides certainty, for now, to our newsagents as to their continuity of trading during these challenging and unprecedented times.”
