Browns of Burnside Newsagency

Not too often you can go to a newsagency and it isn’t a chain. Of course they don’t really offer anything different but you can do it in the surrounds of the posh new developments the Burnside Village has undergone. Really what it means is you will pay a little bit more and the gift area is a touch nicer but if you’re leaving your gift buying to a newsagent then you’re probably already in some trouble.

I remember going here just before Christmas to get some Christmas crackers because Coles inside Burnside Village was sold out. They had a variety of them: some cost $ 30, some $ 40, some $ 50. I know it’s not a cheapskate area but why would you want to spend that much money on stuff you’re going to throw away anyway? Okay, some people might but at least stock something for the budget types too, dear Browns of Burnside.
This still has a big impact on what I think of this newsagency. However, the selection of magazines is standard and good.

Browns of Burnside follows the style of the Burnside Pharmacy — it’s enormous, definitely one of the largest newsagencies I’ve seen, that sells the traditional wares of a newsagent. They have a large range of, well, everything. Their magazines are spread across three enormous, two sided displays, and cover everything from cooking, gardening, gossip, women’s and men’s health, puzzles, all kinds of hobbies and lots of special interest. It was the special interest that amused me the most, with magazines dedicated to Ancient Egypt, boar hunting, stamp collecting, cats and dogs and a much more.
My only disappoint with the magazine collection was their complete lack of great Australian literary magazines; no Overland, Voiceworks, Meanjin, or even our local Wet Ink. Very sad.
The store is currently overflowing with 2010 diaries and back to school stationary. Their arts and craft section is also impressive, with a huge range of paper for invites or decoration, as well as paints and brushes, and even an easel.
Some of their wedding invites paper was beautiful, at $ 20 for 5 sheets! I gasped and put it back, carefully.