In Puglia, newsstands can also sell food (by law)

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Newspapers plus food plus groceries. The mission of newsstands and newsagents in Puglia is changing: no longer will the newsstand be open, the temple of information where newspapers are sold every day while the buyer performs secular morning prayers, but also non-food products, drinks and food. They will be owned by newsagents in exclusive points of sale and Automatic equipment located at a newsstand for serving food and drinks to the public.

The “revolution” of the Apulian newsstand – from now on defined as a market place or a more elegant multifunctional kiosk? – Determined by regional law “Measures to support the media and newsstands” The Governor issued the bill on May 30, following unanimous approval by the Board of Governors. Michelle Emilianoand will be released in an official announcement soon.

Newsstand However, it was still a newsagents: it also provided food and drinks to the public – In fact, it is obliged to retain its original “profession”, that is, it has the “obligation to sell newspapers, daily newspapers and periodicals, Ensure equal treatment in the sale of publications”.

The spirit of the law is therefore in line with the goal of diversification through the expansion of services: at newsstands, which already sell public transport tickets, children’s games, it would then be their turn to collect parcels, issue certificates, etc., thus generating additional revenues compared to the limited revenues from newspapers and magazines. The goal is clear: to offer newsstands a kind of saviour, by expanding the range of products and services they can offer, as the last link in the supply chain (that of publishing, which has been going through a structural crisis for many years).

Past 4 years – Based on Unioncamere-InfoCamere survey of business register data published at the end of 2023 – In fact, nearly 2,700 newsstands across the country have disappeared.of which 2,327 are self-employed. Deadweight losses exceed 16% (-18.6% considering only self-employed businesses), and many provinces even reach double-digit rates of change, starting with Isernia, where more than a third of local units are closed, while Trieste records -31.1% and Ancona more than -30%. As of September 30, 2023, Puglia has a total of 719 registered sales points, of which 639 are self-employed, with an overall reduction of 109 sales points, a decrease of 13.2%.