Click here to go to the Sky Business website where a video of the Mediaweek program from Thursday July 16 is available. The focus was magazines and the role of newsagents. I was a guest on the program along with Eugene Varricchio, Group General Manager – Retail & Distribution, for ACP Magazines. It was good to participate in such a public discussion which respected the role newsagents play in magazine distribution and sales.
What a wonderful company ACP has been to newsagents. They’ve stayed loyal and true over the years…..apart from going direct to supermarkets and petrol outlets that is. What short memories we all have.
Couldn’t agree with you more Ted. It was only the other week that ACP was running a special 3 magazines for the price of 2 offer (Womans Day, NW & Grazia) – was it in the newsagency channel they are so ‘loyal’ to and ‘dependent’ upon?? Ummmm no – it was Exclusive to Coles. As a small business owner (not a newsagent), I am open to competition but how would I compete when a significant player like ACP does exclusive deals like that with a competitor?
Ted, Adam, it would be shortsighted to expect ACP to use newsagents as their exclusive channel. Such a move would also do our businesses a disservice.
I am no apologist for ACP but would note that they do deals, from time to time, with newsagents which are not available through other channels.
What deals ,only ever had short supply
It is not often you see newsagents getting discussed on TV. Mark I would have liked more of a debate about distribution but I suspect there were controls on what you could cover.
John, it is a challenge in the time allowed. Watching it back, I was happy with the coverage and pleased that we at least had a voice at the table.