Promoting favourite winter recipes
We are promoting ACP Magazines’ Winter Favourites cook book at the front of our newsagency, in front of our busiest Tattersalls counter. We will leave this display in place for seven days, longer is sales are strong and justify the prime space. I love the ACP cookbook range, the regular flow of new titles, the high quality of the product and the consumer trust in the brand. I don’t love so much the volume of stock which is sometimes sent. In my own newsagencies, for some titles, I could be sent 75% less, not lose any sales and not have as much cash-flow pressure.
By shipping the volumes they do, ACP shifts financial burden from their balance sheet to the balance sheets of thousands of newsagents. They are not the only publisher doing this. Indeed, many other publishers are worse because of poor sell-through rates.
While publishers have their defence of the magazine distribution practices I describe, I see the financial impact on newsagents and the helplessness they feel when trying to negotiate equitable terms for the supply of magazines.
Years ago, I called for the Productivity Commission to investigate the magazine model as a post deregulation review. I still think such an independent review is appropriate for all parties – in today’s marketplace more than even in fact.
My concerns are not stopping me promoting ACP’s Winter Favourites. On the contrary, I hope our display in a high traffic area helps it sell well, and quickly.
