Newsagent
A newsagent (British English), newsagency (Australian English) or newsstand (American English), is often a small business that sells newspapers, magazines, stationery, snacks and often items of local interest such as postcards and clothing emblazoned with sports team mascots. Newsstands typically operate in well-trafficked public places like city streets, train stations and airports. Racks for newspapers and magazines can also be found in convenience stores, bookstores and supermarkets.
A typical newsstand in New York City.
The physical establishment can be either freestanding or part of a larger structure (e.g. a shopping mall or a railway station). On street corners in New York City, for instance, they are shacks constructed of steel beams and aluminium siding or roofing tin; and require a city permit to build and operate. Other New York newsstands are located inside hotels and office buildings and beneath street level in underground concourses or on subway platforms. During the 1990s, newsstands on some subway platforms were removed and then reopened in modular units designed to fit into the triangular spaces beneath subway staircases.
In recent decades, the most heavily trafficked newsstand in the world was reported to be Nini’s Corner at Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. At one time, the world’s largest freestanding exterior newsstand was operated by Simon Weingarden (1881-1981) at the corner of Michigan and Woodward avenues in Detroit.
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United Kingdom
Newsagents are small shops selling newspapers as well as magazines, provisions, tobacco and alcoholic beverages. Opening times vary according to the owner.
Many shops are family owned, often by families who migrated from other Commonwealth countries after WWII. These family owned shops may carry purchasing group branding such as SPAR, Today’s, “Local Shop” or NISA. Alternatively the private owner choosing to do their own purchasing (usually from cash and carries) may carrying advertising for a local paper, national news group or soft drinks brand externally. Prior to the banning of advertising of Tobacco products this was the most common form of external advertising.
Others are part of national chains such as RS McColl/Martins, Co-Operative Groups and WH Smiths, and Newsbox (Ray Kohli, Newcastle, Chillingham Rd)
Shops advertising themselves as Mini-Marts, Off-Licences or Supermarkets may also act as newsagents.
Australia
A typical suburban newsagency in Canberra, Australia.
A newsagent is the manager, often the owner of a newsagency. Newsagents conduct either a retail business and/or a distribution business. Retail newsagencies primarily offer a comprehensive range of newspapers and magazines as well as stationary and greeting cards. Distribution newsagencies primarily offer home delivery of a comprehensive range of newspapers and magazines.
This entity can be quite large and sophisticated businesses. If authorised, it is fully computerized which was a requirement set by the Australian Consumer Affairs and now administered by some newsagents publishers. It often has a territory, which is partly protected by contracts with most of the Australian Newsagents’ Federation recognised publishers/distributors. These recognized publishers/distributors include ACP Publishing, News Limited, Fairfax Publications, Rural Press, The West Australian and Australian Provincial Newspapers. These monopolies have been a major source of contention between newsagents and the Australian Consumer Affairs.
Japan
Newsstand at Tokyo Station.
Some newsagents in Japan only sell Japanese newspapers, in some farplaces they sell large amounts of food, drink, newspapers, and many others.
Brazil
Newsagency in Avaré, Brasil