Like many newsagents I suspect, we received stock of Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Adevntures last week. It’s the first time we have received this title. Given our sales of 4X4 titles, the price point and the thickness of the title, I would have preferred to receive three copies to start with. I’d draw down more if sales warranted.
Magazine pub lispers and distributors need to stop using newsagencies as their warehouses. We should have no more stock of monthly (or longer) titles than could be reasonably sold in 30 days. As it is with Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Adevntures, we have been supplied to satisfy a sales expectation of three months. I’m not making enough money to justify warehousing the title for there months.
I have recent experience in the supply chain to homewares stores. In this retail channel smart suppliers have implemented just in time supply principles and thereby eliminated the need for retailers to warehouse stock. They have done this out of respect for the tough conditions in which retailers find themselves today. I’d like to see the same implemented in the newsagency channel.
If a title has an on-sale of more than a month, introduce multiple drops aligned with sales expectations. Stop using small business newsagents as the warehouse.
Even worse when they do it with a high priced title. I received more ‘Delicious Simply the Best’ @ $39.95 than I sold in 4 months last year. I have sold a couple but still have 14 more….. and at $39.95 that is like having an extra 56 New Idea’s out the back for the next 3 months! They receive my data nightly, so why not send me some more when I’ve sold some?