The distribution for the third time of the one shot title, Wellbeing Beauty, on Friday to many newsagents has caused a stir. Many who contacted me did not realise it was the third go around for this under-performing title until they read my blog post.
As I have said to those who have called me, what are you going to do about it? Complaining may provide some satisfaction, it does not move you forward on fixing the problem.
Newsagency associations are somewhat neutered on this issue as they want and need funding from publishers and distributors for awards, conferences and the like.
This matter of reissue of a poorly performing title and requesting, again, full copy return ought to receive urgent attention from associations in addition to individual newsagents. It is a test case.
One newsagent said they would pose the question I posed in another blog post about whether newsagents are obligated to return full copies of titles to their solicitor. I think this does need legal investigation. My understanding is that there is no contractual obligation. But I am not a lawyer and am not in a position to provide legal advice.
With returns costing between 1% and 2% of magazine sales we need to take action. It is too easy for publishers like Universal to send out a twice failed title with little risk – instead, expecting newsagents to carry the risk of theft, retail space, labour and return freight for them.
Newsagents not acting in the past is what enables Universal and others to continue their behaviour.
So, what are you going to do about this?