The Queensland Newsagents Federation yesterday wrote to newsagents seeking a commitment from newsagents consenting to join a group of Queensland newsagents calling for a boycott of magazine distributor Gordon and Gotch.
The QNF plans to lodge a boycott application with the ACCC once they have collected sufficient commitments. They are seeking one hundred commitments at this time.
The QNF is seeking an alignment of return and delivery dates for Gordon & Gotch product.
If it proceeds, the boycott wouldinvolve participating newsagents in not returning full copies of unsold magazines (currently newsagents have to pay freight on returning the entire copy of many magazines which are unsold) and the immediate return of unpopular international titles.
The invitation from the QNF explains the reason for their target actions:
Due to the fact that a collective boycott cannot affect the consumer we are restricted with what we can actually do but believe that the above should encourage Gordon & Gotch to treat the issue of alignment of dates with the importance and expediency required.
Cash flow is especially important in this economic climate and non-alignment of dates is a clear attempt to improve Gordon & Gotch’s cash flow at the expense of Queensland newsagents.
Given the recently achieved national unity of state based newsagent associations around the national ANF body, I am surprised to see one state strike out on what is a national issue for newsagents. However, there may be a reason for this which has not been explained at this point.
This must be a city or southern Queensland issue. Being a remote newsagent in Queensland I have not prvously been aware of this issue. Do other newsagent think this is a major issue? We eary return immeadiatly unwanted magazines and never have a problem with Gotch returns. Future billing for titles from Network that will never sell and that we cannot justify shelf space for is also a problem. I see distribution for the sake of distribution as being the biggest issue. Magazines not suited to our area and massive over supply by mostly Network. The struggle to reduce supply is overwelming. This is our most pressing issue.
I’m a Brissie agent Carol and I agree with your comments. The QNF must have sent the email regarding this to my home address so I’ll need to wait until I’ve looked at that to comment further but I agree that over supply, for me at least, is by far the greater issue. TBH Gotch seems to have gotten a little better of late after I religiously early returned unwanted supply but Network is as bad as ever and by far the worse of the two.
im not really sure what the issue is here either, or how it got the boycott stage before it was communicated with the membership. im in nth qld so i top everything anyway, and always early return oversupply or crap titles.
im sure anne nugent reads this, so would like to hear more details as to what we are hoping to achieve
This must be about city agents only, we are in the country and top everything including early returns. The only mags that go back full from either Networkor Gotch are the AWW cookbooks. I just wish both would stop sending so much crap and concentrate on promoting mags that actually sell rather then flooding newsagents with crap overseas mags, or bagged mags for that matter
I absolutely agree with the inconsistencies by GG with close of returns and end of month dates, but a boycott is a very extreme measure against one supplier of two who are equally mischievious in their dealings with newsagents.
Should also be extended to News ltd to get their act together about pricing, good to see some action being taken from the Qnf others should take note.
We have already refused any further business with Gordon & Gotch due to extensive over supplying of unordered and inappropriate mags. We have experienced a rude and unhelpful (not to mention inept) attitude from all their staff and even a letter to their CEO solicited no response what so ever. Dealing with them caused extensive damage to our cash flow and unfortunately we can no longer stock the half dozen titles that do sell. Network Services is now getting just as bad sending a lot of overseas and other rubbish that bears no relevance to our area and they are also charging freight on returns. I suggest any proposed boycott extend to them also. I think we should take a lesson from QNF and take sort of action here in WA as well, against both of them.