Magazine unit sales dropped 5% in September / October 2009 compared to the same period last year my latest newsagency sales benchmark is showing. The sale study shows that magazine revenue fell 3% in the same period. This is against a 2% increase in all sales for the same period.
The 5% fall is less than half the fall reported in the January / March 2009 benchmark study. This is good news for newsagents and magazine publishers.
The benchmark study indicates a fall in contribution by magazines to overall newsagency revenue. In 2008, magazines contributed, on average, 14.6% of revenue. In 2009, the contribution is 13.6% of revenue. While this can be partially attributed to the decline in sales, it is more to do with newsagents growing revenue in non-circulation areas.
The benchmark study also shows a steeper decline in sales in larger newsagencies, those turning over $30,000 or more a month in magazines.
I’ll have more to say about the changing balance in products sold in newsagencies once I have digested more of the benchmark results.
The benchmark study includes data from 125 newsagencies using Tower Systems point of sale software covering sales for September / October 2009 and September / October 2008.
I undertake these benchmark studies to provide newsagents with data against which they can compare their businesses and, hopefully, make more informed business decisions. I find the results useful in building a profile of successful newsagencies. The dataset is invaluable in understanding operator performance, trends and opportunities.
This data is fantastic to compare my business with. My magazine sales are down 5% and now I don’t feel so bad. Knowing how others are doing is good.
It looks like partworks are well down.
5% down with the GEC in between, isn’t that bad at all.