Western Leader Delivery and a Better Idea

Jimmy from Titirangi

If you are wondering why you don't get the Western Leader, here's their response to me:
=================================
"The reason why you haven't been receiving our paper because this is a vacant delivery run. We have advertised the paper run each week and trying my best to hire someone for your area.

Regards,

Floreta

Circulation Department
Suburban Newspapers Auckland

E circulation@snl.co.nz | P (09) 525 2022
Fairfax Media, 4 Williamson Avenue, Ponsonby, Auckland 1021, New Zealand
PO Box 6341 Wellesley St, Auckland 1141
==================================
I can assure you that no 13-year old kid is going to walk 20 - 50 meters between houses for 10 km twice a week dropping off papers. It MUST be done by car.

We live in a modest home. But we are next to some really amazing homes with what I assume are really big spenders. None of us get the Western Leader. Which means we also don't get the adverts. Which means we shop where we feel like, not where stores advertise. It would appear the Western Leader pays by the paper, not by the effort. To deliver 100 papers in some parts of Auckland might take an hour. It Titirangi, count on three or four or more. No wonder they have vacant routes.

Which begs the question: How can Joe Realtor manage to put something in my box almost weekly? Susan Realtor can also put something in my box regularly. Countdown and the Warehouse ads arrive without delay. I get the occasional community notice. There are drop-offs from political parties as well as the occasional safety notice.

Why on earth has no one been smart enough to do what the rest of the Western World does and consolidate advertisements and deliveries? As a teen in the US (almost four decades ago) I had 453 homes I would drop off packets to twice a week. I was their local ads (AKA junk mail) delivery kid. Has no one in NZ figured out that it is more efficient (cheaper) to have one source of distribution in an area?

I see the car that drops off the ads in my area. It is a car with two adults in it: One driving - One standing on the running board. Does Fairfax Media not realize that their insistence on hiring 12-year-olds is a failing alternative? Consolidating would lower costs for every business / person that wants to get their ads out. It would also allow the completely useless Western Leader and other related papers to get distributed. This would also lower prices (or increase profits depending on what the affected businesses wanted to do).

I have lived in Titirangi for six months. We have received not quite one Western Leader. Almost one; just under. I feel bad for the advertisers that think that people actually see their ads. The Western Leader and Fairfax Media with their local papers are a scam. In the real world, if you don't have someone to cover an area, the adjoining areas move out a bit to cover it. I knew that at the age of 14 when I delivered newspapers and then flyers. Not so with Fairfax media. Screw the advertisers and community is their mantra. Not only do they get the same ad revenue, they save costs on printing and distribution. It is the perfect pyramid scheme.