At my company the team on Retail Newsagent, led by editor Lindsay Sharman, unveiled a new look for the weekly magazine last week after eight months of planning, including interviews with hundreds of retailers and advertisers. We realised that what we were doing was similar to what we are telling independent retailers to do – invest in your business.

At present, we believe that printed media is still the favourite tool for independent retailers seeking information and trade news. However, we also believe it has to be done well. We have invested in a better paper stock, which makes the magazine easier to read, and the editorial team has worked with the designers to ensure the package is accessible and attractive.

The feedback from retailers and suppliers has been fantastic. We held a small launch party for retailers and our trade partners and they applauded Lindsay after her short speech introducing the refresh. “Retail Newsagent has always had fantastic content,” she told them. “Now we’ve given the magazine a modern, fresh business look.”

More importantly Lindsay and her team – which includes most people in our business as we are a small independent outfit ourselves – received a boost. A boost from a job well done and a boost from the appreciation that our customers have shown.

In life, you have to back what you do, understand how you make a difference and understand what benefits you need to provide in order to make a profit. Sales of Retail Newsagent have risen by 52 per cent in the past three years and we hope to continue this good track record. But we know we cannot stand still.