Newsagent suppliers often complain about the grumpiness of newsagents. Maybe if these suppliers had their own money at stake in a newsagency they would begin to understand how a good day can turn bad and a good mood can become grumpy.
Take this magazine, Holden in Australia, from Universal magazines. It is to be on sale for five months. Based on sales of similar categories I know I am likely to sell one or two copies. This means, if I do what Universal wants, that will have a pocket allocated to the title for five months.That will cost $17.50. Even if I sell all four copies I received, my GP will be $8.95. See my point?
Labeling magazines in the morning is like writing a cheque for the privilege of gifting real-estate and labour to companies like Universal who love long shelf life product – no wonder newsagents get grumpy. Until the publishers own and operate a newsagency I do not expect them to understand the damage they are doing.
This is why we need a magazine czar.