Australian Newsagency Blog

Which copy of Real Living and Table am I supposed to promote in my newsagency this month? The regular issue or the one hidden in a sealed bag proclaiming 20% off. I know which one customers will reach for first - the bagged copy.

This is a frustrating offer from ACP Magazines. We have Real Living. We have Table. Now we have the real Living / Table combo pack - a new stock item requiring additional shelf space, labour and cash flow.

I appreciate ACP may want to experiment with these deals. I wish newsagents had been consulted first and that we were compensated for our investment. The magazine experience in newsagencies is built around browsing. Bagging a magazine like Real Living, which is already struggling compared to Notebook, will not help sales.

Real Living is a feature magazine this week so my question about which version to promote is serious - do I feature the bagged version promoting 20% off or the version people can browse?

This offer sends a mixed message to newsagents and consumers which, I suspect, will not help the title achieve what it needs to achieve.