A blog on issues affecting Australia's newsagents, media and small business generally. More ...

NDD likely to block newsagents on Alpha magazine

I know from my own experience recently with magazine distributor NDD that they are unlikely to respond to requests from newsagents that they not supply Alpha.  I wrote to NDD asking that they not supply certain titles.  They threw up all sorts of barriers and eventually refused to give me permission to control the titles I get for my newsagency.

If NDD follows the same approach for newsagents who ask to not be supplied Alpha we could find ourselves forced to take Alpha.  It is this lack of control which has led some newsagents I have spoken with to close their accounts with NDD.  I guess they have exercised the ultimate control.

It should not come to this.  If I am expected to carry the risk of stock in my newsagency then I ought to have absolute control over the stock I carry.  It is my money after all.  NDD appears to have forgotten that.  Just as News Ltd has forgotten that it was newsagents who made Alpha the sales success it is today.

0 likes
magazine distribution

Join the discussion

  1. LUKE

    The only way to run a business in this day and age is to “exercise the ultimate control” of cutting a supplier that does not contribute to the success of your business.
    No longer can an owner put up with suppliers forcing their will onto our businesses and giving nothing in return.

    Over the past 2 yrs we have cut our ties with fairfax and nationwide over their poor delivery model that forced us to work for nothing with nothing in return, also NDD that overloaded our shop with junk titles and bad returns credit. We also now have 3 seperate stationery suppliers so no longer can one supplier threaten my business with unreasonable demands. And what has been the result, sales are steady, not up but it has not effected my profits for the worse. We are hoping that once the country gets over the reccession fears that our business will grow with suppliers that want to work with us not ones that force us to work for them.

    All I can say to other newsagents is don’t let fear of the unknown run your businesses bite the bullit and stand up for your livelihoods because at the end of the day if you go broke no one else gives a s%$t.
    You and you alone must be in total control of the stock that comes through your doors and if your not then you leave yourselves exposed.
    Our industry in reccession proof as long as we do not let the big suppliers drive us under to keep themselves afloat.

    0 likes

  2. Sarah

    The gross oversupply by NDD is harming all of our businesses. They are unwilling to see the huge problems they are creating. Unfortunately, at this stage, we can’t threaten that we will shut down all of our accounts, because most agents won’t.

    I am giving NDD one last chance to alter my supply, and will be shutting down my account otherwise… I’m not holding my breath.

    0 likes

  3. Michael

    At least with Alpha going to NDD we have the opportunity of making an example of Alpha.

    My sales were never really any good selling 2-3, but to people who would not buy it in conjunction with the Courier Mail (tight arses).

    In my case I can’t see it selling anywhere but in prime position, so for me it looks like it will sit on the back shelf seeing other titles do better.

    * Well said Luke.

    0 likes

  4. Y&G

    Sadly, should have or not, it has come to this.
    We’d tried to do a whole reshuffle, getting rid of a lot of dead wood – titles that have never sold here. One import in particular has been a pain in the proverbial from day one, yet perusing the online status form to see what titles we were allowed to stop, that title, among others had “rejected” in its status column. That kind of terminology gives us a clear picture of what kind of relationships they prefer to conduct.
    Or maybe they just like getting back unopened bundles all the time.
    Either way, they deserve the contempt dished out to agents to be shovelled right back at them.
    So, if we still had an account with them, I suspect we’d still be getting Alpha for as long as NDD exists.

    Hell, we can’t even stop them sending normal titles even after they’ve shafted us.

    0 likes

  5. Bario

    I’ve just seen an email today from NDD on the Alpha title inviting us to readjust the supply , albeit with a clause ”subject to standard supply guidelines”.
    will check the website later and see the allocation given to us.

    0 likes

  6. Ian

    Bario, I have had a look on ours and they have increased the allocation over what we have been getting from News.Ltd. Looks like a lot of early returns!!!

    0 likes

  7. David R

    There is two ways, do not pay for them .Tell NDD before hand that you are not paying or take lots and just send them back when it is due for return .no early returns wait till the can not be sold at other outlets

    0 likes

  8. Derek

    Luke- Well said also.

    As you know I had to close my account with NDD because of oversupply although I could of sold some niche titles and some of those were from News Magazines portfolio..

    I could not sell ALPHA even if I wanted too now. Newsagents should have at least some control over magazine supply, what other business’s get treated in this way? Get stock that you dont want or cannot sell and you pay for it up front?

    Derek

    0 likes

  9. Chris W

    Given that NDD has offered the opportunity to specify quantities (and assuming changes are accepted), why are we talking early returns? My original NDD allocation was double the amount needed (no surprise!), which I have changed. I suspect that those newsagents who don’t avail themselves of this opportunity will be seriously overloaded.

    0 likes

  10. Bario

    just checked the NDD website, they have allocated more than the quantity we get from NewsLtd by another 50%

    so I have readjusted down and hope they respect our decision.

    0 likes

  11. Y&G

    No, they won’t respect your decision.

    0 likes

  12. Wendy

    Just to be different, our intended supply of Alpha from NDD is correctly allocated. Also, just 2 months ago we did a full reshuffle of titles from NDD online and not one was rejected. Perhaps we are just lucky, I don’t know, but I do understand the frustration of newsagents experiencing problems with NDD oversupply.

    0 likes

  13. David R

    We have done as wendy has and found ndd has respected our request .We are now looking at mags that we do not get from them and will take more. NDD has been most helpfull .Even the numbers are good .IT IS NEWS NOT NDD we are upset about in regards ALPHA,

    0 likes

  14. Warrick

    No problems here, checked website and I dont have an allocation for Alpha. Yippee
    I presume it is because I am a sub for News Ltd product.

    0 likes

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Reload Image