Reader’s Digest and their distributor, NDD, are engaged in what I consider is unconscionable conduct with my newsagency and, I suspect, hundreds of others.
As I blogged here in December 2006, they increased supply without justification in the sales data for such action. Reader’s Digest and NDD have just done it again and increased supply based solely on their cash-flow goals and not on my sales data.
This is commercial rape. The weakest party in the magazine supply chain, newsagents, are being systematically abused by bigger bullies like Reader’s Digest and NDD. They conspire to supply at a quantity far beyond what we can sell. They increase beyond this unsaleable quantity without any justification. They do this for their own pleasure. Newsagents are helpless. Calls to the ACCC to act fall on deaf ears.
Newsagents have all but given up and focus instead of titles which do not abuse newsagent generosity.
I understand that calling this behavior by Reader’s Digest and NDD commercial rape is inflammatory. Despite promises that the behaviour will be modified it has not. The abuse continues. So, what is left but to bring focus to two companies so intent of harming small business newsagents?
I have data to support my claim – not only from my newsagency but others too. If only the ACCC had an interest in stopping clearly unconscionable behaviour.