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Newsagents take Alpha magazine off the shelves

Newsagents are telling me that they have removed Alpha magazine to the back room ready for return. They say they will continue to do this with new issues of Alpha. It is certainly a practical way to let News Ltd know the extent of your anger over their decision to cut margin and take away home delivery sales.

If many newsagents do this, refuse to display Alpha in-store, sales of the magazine will drop. This will bring the title to the attention of advertisers who would be expected to seek a reduction in advertising rates.

It will be interesting to see how many newsagents take action on this. In the past, newsagent actions have not matched by their words. I suspect that News Ltd is banking on this. They have in the past.

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  1. Michael

    I think about the big picture with these things. If we don’t put it on the shelf there are ramifications like writers, photographers, etc, etc, possibly losing their jobs because of the lack of income coming in from the magazine.

    But enough is enough, I’m sick of being the fool who lets our industry “partners” treat us like nothing.

    If we all don’t put it on the shelf and journo’s and photographers etc etc lose their jobs I don’t care. I’m sick of being the one to pick up the slack.

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  2. Derek

    Removed from prime real eatate. I have Burkes Backyard their now.

    Derek

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  3. Michael

    I’ve got Popular Science – I like their initiative.

    Alpha is on a shelf in the back room sulking.

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  4. Y&G

    Alpha? What Alpha?
    Oh, the one hiding behind Rugby League Week?

    Because we weren’t newsagents when all you lot were building up the title, we haven’t actually lost anything from it. However, we are willing to join in this action at least to some extent, given this will be the last issue of Alpha we will have due to cessation of work with NDD.

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  5. Bario

    likewise, am hiding it away from the front newspaper stand and be treated like any others.

    not that traditionally we do well in the Alpha sales anyway, only about 10 copies every month.

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  6. Angela

    Yes and when someone asks I will tell them why.

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  7. Manni

    I find that NDD does not Credit our account for some returns sent in the middle of the month.I fax them details of outstanding credits due and NO response from them.I just hold back on payment till the next month until I see the Credits on my next Statement. Very slack communication from NDD. I do have a problem with GG or Network

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  8. Manni

    sorry, I do NOT have a problem with GG and Network

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  9. rick

    the proof will be in the pudding as far as the boycott goes, what will happen if the agent down the road continues to promote and stock alpha? while not a huge seller for me, i will continue to stock alpha, but it has lost its right to VIP treatment, it is now just another mag and will be treated as such, and join the rest in the sports section. Its a shame we dont have the benefit of a national association to take up the fight, and until such time as we do, it has to be a case of do the best for you own situation

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  10. craig

    any word from VANA in this issue?

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  11. Michael

    Rick, your right about the agent down the road, but if I don’t sell my usual two or three, and other agents do the same it might turn out to be a thousand Alphas not sold.

    Not a huge point but one they can possibly see.

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  12. John

    Even though I didn’t sell many Alphas, it occupied prime space.. with the recent treatment we have received I have also moved my Alpha to a ‘warm’ area (two copies) with the rest boxed up in the back room for return.

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  13. ted

    What I would like to know is whether the decision to go direct to outlets previously supplied as sub agents was News Limited’s decision, or were the outlets already direct accounts with NDD?

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  14. Mark

    Ted, News Ltd announced the decision so I would say it was theirs.

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  15. Wendy

    We got an email containing attached letters from both NewsLtd and NDD regarding the changeover, but I agree that the decision was NewsLtd’s since it’s their mag.

    With regard to removing Alpha from display (or at least from centre stage), there was some talk a while ago of a women’s weekly title being removed from shelves for one issue, but many newsagents argued that the customers wanted it, so we must provide it. Is that not the case with Alpha? We still have customers and if they want it, should we not still provide it? Removing a title from the shelves drives customers to the next store to find what they want and that is bad for our business, especially in the current economic climate where every sale makes a difference to us.

    Also, when NewsLtd distributed Alpha, there was no option for early return, and therefore, no credit until the week after recall. At least with NDD we can early return, even if we DO have to fight for the credit (sometimes)!

    There must be another way to get the point across to the publishers and distributors! It just doesn’t seem right to punish the customers for the actions of the suppliers. (Yes, I am aware that Alpha is not a big seller)

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  16. Brad

    I was there when it was launched to the market at the ANF conference in the Hunter Valley. The main focus of the mag was to give more depth and better quality articles to supplement the paper thus the reason to purchase with paper.
    Now that they have transitioned to just a mag what is its place in the market. I understand the drama with margins etc but if it is to be positioned as a cheap Inside Sport etc it gets 1 pocket on the bottom of the sport section.
    Yes we as newsagents have helped develop a market for the product but how many impulse sales were had because of price and position. It’s association with the paper has also given it more exposure than most.
    NDD haven’t acquired the same mag as it was last issue. Look at it for what it now is. This alone I would suggest see the sales drop by 75%. Taking it off the display should be decision based on
    A. can it sell?
    B. do I have a comparable product?

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  17. Derek

    Wendy & Brad

    Its always good to have a different perspective and what you both have written is excellent and is normally what I would do.

    I can only speak for myself but where do you draw the line? Soon their will be no line to draw and then I will not be able to pay the rent. That is why I am speaking up on this deceptive and irregular issue.

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  18. Jim

    Derek,

    You are so right – we MUST draw a line in the sand and this is it! Newsagents will get walked over time and time again and it’s time for us as a group to stand up to it.

    What makes the Alpha decision so wrong is that News Ltd have been deceptive and dishonourable, playing newsagents along until it suited them to unload the distribution and I do not for one minute believe that NDD are an innocent party in all of this despite the wishy-washy VANA email of this afternoon. In fact, I reckon if you put Cowley in a purple robe he would do a great impersonation of Pontius Pilate such is his ability to wash his hands of anything that might offend the masters in News Ltd.

    The significant difference between this issue and all of the others plaguing the magazine part of the industry is that News put a proposal to the industry, had it accepted, lived off it for a couple of years whilst manouvering to offload the distribution to a compliant (and complicit) partner then had the hide to call it a win for all involved – and the Nicholson St brains trust throw it back to newsagents to make their own decision. Pathetic!!

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  19. Derek

    Great Post Jim!

    Why is it so hard for others to understand….

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  20. andy

    Dont you think news will do the same as always? let us rant and rave and compleatley ignor us and do what they always do.do nothing and we will bow to what ever they say or do

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  21. Jim

    Andy,

    There are a number of ways to attack this act of treachery by News Ltd. – indeed the obvious and easy one is to get it all off our collective chests, let the hysteria subside and go back to our old subservient ways getting done over at every turn and continue to be dominated by the publishers. We’ve done it for 150 years so why change? Business as usual!

    Another way might be to use our collective power as paid up soldiers of that toothless army called VANA, march on Nicholson St and demand, nay, force our paid executive to act on our behalf. Oops, that’s no good – who will sponsor the annual back slap if we do that?

    Perhaps we could do what most retailers in other industries would do and that is simply request a reduction in allocation – uh oh, we are dealing with NDD here – that means we get an uplift in the order of 200% which seems to be the way with most of their mags (how else do you explain a 400% increase in Brithsh Football Weekly which has a sell through of 1 in 260).

    So that’s 3 ways that won’t work in our favour.

    Perhaps if as an industry we stood for what we believe in and totally withdrew our support for the product through the normal mechanisms i.e. return 100% of the product, someone at News would eventually get the message. NDD won’t care – they’re paid on distribution, however the guru at News who hatched this devious scheme in the first place might just get a bowl of come-uppance for morning tea the day 100,00 copies of virginal Alpha’s hit their front door.

    It’s the old story – pretend it isn’t really happening, be an ostrich, stick your head in the sand and brace yourself or understand that it is happening, understand that with their attitudes News Ltd and NDD are the real ostriches (actually dodos in reality) and be prepared to ram home to them the reality that we’ve had a gutsful.

    Sleep well.

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  22. Mark

    Jim and Andy,

    We have several options:

    1. Stop selling the title. Keep it in the back room and return 100%. Do this for a few months and there will be movement.

    2. Close the NDD account and fix the problem alltogether.

    3. Treat the title as a regular magazine and watch sales fall.

    4. Create a flyer and give one to every customer – letting them know how News has treated our family business.

    What we must not do is nothing.

    mark

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