ANSWER: As she tends to do when confronted with questions about the inner workings of the paper, Sun Spots turned to the experts for the answer to this question. In this case, that expert is sales’ Major Account Manager Bruce Rioux. Here is his response, edited for space:
We are concerned, as well, that some companies are choosing to advertise only on their websites and Facebook to cut their advertising costs. This is happening in all newspapers across the United States. Sadly, many of the large national stores prefer that customers place their orders using the internet or mobile device instead of shopping in the stores.
Here is what has happened with some specific circular advertisers:
Since Walgreens does not have a store in the Lewiston-Auburn area, they have chosen to provide their sales fliers only to readers in the Norway/Oxford area of our circulation where their store is located. Walgreens likes the effectiveness of newspaper advertising and we understand it is possible that they will return to the Sun Journal since they now own the Rite-Aid chain of pharmacies, and we have several of those in our market.
The Walmart effort is to get people to order online and have things shipped directly to their homes instead of going to the store. Consequently, they have cut their newspaper insert program across the U.S. to a bare minimum. We have heard this idea is failing, and grocers like Hannaford, Shaw’s, and Food City are busier now that Walmart is not running in newspapers.
AC Moore stopped the Sun Journal inserts when Hobby Lobby came to town. Michaels stopped a long time ago when AC Moore started being aggressive in our market area. These companies figure that the readers will go to the closest location to get their arts and craft supplies, so they choose not to compete with Hobby Lobby.
You should still be getting the Food City inserts as they continue their program as usual. They send enough inserts for about half of the Sun Journal’s daily circulation. Only certain streets are on their list for delivery.
Some companies think the internet will solve all their marketing/advertising programs. JC Penney quit newspapers for a short time, but have now come back with more inserts than ever — because the inserts work and their business is seeing better results.
Please let the stores know that you miss reading their advertising in your daily newspaper. In this changing world, perhaps they will get the message that it is the most effective way to get people to their stores.
DEAR SUN SPOTS: I am in need of empty Moxie cartons, pretty please. I will pick up locally. Contact nans2008@live.com or (207) 212-3157. — No Name, Lisbon Falls.
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