I have noticed some magazines coming through as new titles which are not new titles at all. They have a new barcode and a new title code but the titles have been regularly sent to us before. There is nothing ‘new’ about them.
Thankfully, my newsagency software identifies the new titles and lets me find an existing title from my stock database. In a couple of clicks I have all the sales and returns history for the ‘old’ title associated with the ‘new’ title as well as putaway, home delivery and sub agent orders. This simple step facilitates business as usual.
This is vitally important since it is the historic data which enables me to early return oversupplied stock. These ‘new’ titles are among consistently oversupplied magazines.
Newsagents need to be vigilant in how they handle all new titles. If your newsagency software permits, link the new title with the appropriate existing title so that you can carry forward vital sales, sub agent and putaway data.
While I do not want to come across as a conspiracy theorist, I am sceptical about the reason for the change to the barcode and title code of any magazine. Such a move can only benefit the publisher.
Maybe newsagents could share details of titles here. Let me start the list rolling: High Performance Imports.
UPDATE (8/10/2010 13:38) Here are more titles to add to the list:
- Handmade Country Xmas Gifts Special Vol. 28 No. 6
- Creating Country Threads Xmas Special Vol. 11 No. 3
- Country Home Ideas Outdoor Living Special Vol. 9 No. 11
- Fast Fours & Rotaries Performance Special Nov 2010
- Fishing Tips & Techniques No. 32
- Street Fords Australia Project Car Special No. 73
I’m surprised at the headline as this has been mentioned in comments to your other threads. The changes apply to virtually all magazines from Express Publications. As I previously noted, this coincides with an increase of on-sale period for their monthly mags to just under 2 months.
fishing tips and tech
Surely, at best, unethical. And sneaky. And offensive. And…and..
At worst? Hmmm Gawd, Maud, it’s not an illusion, if rhyming rapping is permitted… It can’t be legal, surely??
Something in it for everyone except the newsagent, who has to figure it out for themselves to realise they’ve been gypped.
Why else would they all go to the trouble to adjust codes/picking systems etc etc? Imagine the time, resources and meetings to make it all happen.
Chris, I have now seen evidence for myself and am able to open it as a topic on its own. Newsagents can protect themselves against this – if they use their computer system properly.
In addition to the above the magazines are bagged and the FREE magazine costs additional $1 on the bag as opposed to the price on the mag. All are full copy returns. I ask again is it only newsagents that have to return the full mags
Good point there Wally ! If the bags are labelled as having “free” mags, yet the base sale magazine is one dollar above its normal price then are they really free ? Might have to make a quick call to Fair Trading Qld shortly….
off topic but i don’t know where to post this….. Mark, hows the forum coming along? ETA ?
Is it not time we all got over it and got on with it,selling that is
you mean sweep things under the rug? turn the other cheek? keep one eye shut? look the other way?
i hope not.
I think he meant bend over a bit further……
I have updated the list of titles on the original blog post.
Here’s a dumb question. If your software “identifies the new titles and lets [you] find an existing title from [your] stock database”, why do you need to make a general call for titles with changed codes instead of pressing a button to find them yourself? This has been happening for a couple of weeks!
Chris I want let more newsagents know about this.
Chris,
We pay for xchangit and forced to be compliant, then they play with the codes.
Why should i have to sit there and look for existing titles…
Thank you for listing the titles Mark we had missed two of these. I will speak with my magazine manage to be more careful.
Chris W I don’t know why you are complaining. This is a helpful service.
I’ve seen this happening all the time (during my short period as a newsagent). I found it happens in mostly in the crafts (Stitches, Quilts, etc), motor vehicles (Xtreme, etc) and adult magazines. This has been happening for at least a few months since I became a newsagent. I thought this was a norm in the industry.
The reverse also happening as well. They’ve reused barcodes of older magazines. Unexpected newsagents would scanned incorrect titles into their system.
Thats only the half of it…
Unsuspecting staff receive the data through exchangeIT and dont search and update. And yes this is probably our fault…
However, the real problem is when you go to return the ‘Old’ or even ‘Future Dated’ barcodes.
After reconciling your monthly accounts you dont get credited and when you get into a discussion with the wonderful support staff at NDC & Gotch they say that you are trying to return a Mag from 2006 or its has not been released yet…
We are paying to be compilant for a system that has flaws and end up out of pocket beceasue of it.
Ultimately it is our fault, however, if it is a system we have to use (and pay for) why are we the only ones held accountable.
Does anyone else have these problems?
Pete
We have been a victim of the renaming and barcoding of existing magazines that Mark mentions but in a way that has not been highlighted in this thread.
We are still a subagent for ACP magazines and have stopped receiving some titles that are put aways causing angst with some customers.
Our supplying agent has understandably been unable to manage the situation and is in meltdown regarding supply of changed titles to us. We need the magazine companies to come to the party and supply the information for this situation to be managed. They must be able to do this without much effort.
Some newsagency software packages appear to not be handling this well. No matter, Express have agreed to stop this behaviour.