All the early mornings, late nights and hard work over more than 20 years have paid off for Caloundra’s Macfarlane family, whose business has just been named Australia’s 2023 Newsagency of the Year.
Carrie Macfarlane took the call this month from the Are Media representative with the good news about the Bulcock Street store they have operated since 2010.
“It was quite exciting,” the long-time small businesswoman and mother-of-three said.
“It means we’re the largest distributor of magazines in Australia.
Local journalists supporting local people. Help keep independent and fair Sunshine Coast news coming by subscribing to our FREE daily news feed. All it requires is your name and email at the bottom of this article.
“(The representatives) came up earlier in the year and said they were going to do some stories on successful newsagencies.
“So, we didn’t know we were going to win but we knew we were up there.
“There was a lot of shouting in the house when we found out.
“The son even came out of his bedroom and said, ‘What’s going on with Mum?’.”
The family and four staff members have been overwhelmed by the number of well wishes, especially on social media from loyal customers.
Julie Chesterman said on a Facebook post: “Congratulations to Carrie Macfarlane and the outstanding Caloundra Newsagency team! Your resilience, commitment to local youth, community spirit, and dedication to the elderly truly exemplify excellence, making you the Best in Australia! Winning Australian Newsagent of the Year is a well-deserved recognition of your hard work and dedication.”
Caloundra Chamber of Commerce added: “Congratulations to Carrie and the team! What a great way to end the year!”
Ang Carter wrote: “Congratulations Caloundra Newsagency!!! Best owners, best staff, best clientele. You’ve worked so hard, you deserve it.”
“(The comments) are everywhere,” Carrie said this week, in thanking customers and her staff.
“It’s fantastic to get the local support. We try to know everybody by name and know what they want.
“We try and go out of your way to deliver things if people are a bit older – just doing a little bit of old-fashioned service.
“It is still just family-based and independent.”
Like stories about Sunshine Coast people doing great things? Help us deliver more by registering for our FREE daily news feed. All it requires is your name and email at the bottom of this article.
As well as selling a lion’s share of lotto winners in all divisions, Caloundra Newsagency is best known for its commitment to its core business.
“We decided many, many years ago that we were going to stay traditional,” Carrie said.
“So we stayed with the print press and we’ve only got a few gifts, while a lot of newsagencies have moved across into the giftware.
“But we have thousands of magazines. People walk in and they go ‘whoa’ at how many magazines we have.
“And we have people driving from everywhere. We just call them to say: ‘Your magazine’s here’ and they drive in and pick them up.
“I’ve got people who drive from Maleny to pick up some things every month.
“We get magazine deliveries twice a week. So, we go in at 10.30 at night and work through until 1 o’clock in the morning – getting all the magazines set up and delivering them to all of our subagencies, because we still have a lot of those, to make sure they’ve got them on their shelves by the time the shops open.
“It is a concerted effort.”
Carrie said the business, whose most recent claim to fame was selling the second division Gold Lotto prize worth $10,029.50 on November 18, was very much a family affair.
With husband Cameron, she has operated newsagencies within the Caloundra area for more than a decade, including Golden Beach News – their first, bought in 2002 and since sold to Carrie’s sister Kemlyn.
The newsagency business demands long hours that not everyone would choose, but Carrie relishes it.
“I’m not a fan of mornings but you get used to it,” she said.
“I’m getting up at 4 o’clock every morning and it is a beautiful time of the day, (though) I’m putting the doors up when the sun comes up.”
Caloundra Newsagency is open from 6am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday, 6am-3pm Saturday and 6am-noon Sunday.
Carrie, Cameron and daughter Stephanie, 22, take on the night shifts as well.
Stephanie was a two-year-old toddler when her parents began in the newsagency business and she is heavily involved today. Son Mitch, who goes into Year 12 next year, also helps out in the shop.
“It’s a family business,” Carrie said.
“I only work until 12.30pm and then the daughter takes over in the afternoon because my husband had heart failure a couple of years ago. We didn’t know whether he was going to make it.
“Then we sold the $60 million (Gold Lotto) ticket. We sold three tickets in six months that totalled about $63 million (in prizemoney).
“We were quite lucky with everything.”
The Macfarlanes haven’t had a chance to celebrate yet because of the Christmas rush in store.
Carrie has allowed herself little time to think about being flown down to Sydney for the ceremony, at a time and place to be determined.
She and Stephanie will make the trip but Carrie is certain of one thing: a new awards frock is in order.
Want more free local news? Follow Sunshine Coast News on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
