Further to my post this morning about ACP opening a magazine subscriptions outpost near one of my newsagencies, I have just found out that they have also set up an outport at Watergardens Town Centre in Victoria where I have another newsagency. In this situation, however, the ACP outpost is located a few feet from the front of the nextra newsagency in the centre. Talk about in your face.
UPDATE: We had two representatives of the ACP Magazines Magshop outpost in front of our newsagency today offering subscriptions to customers walking past and customers leaving our newsagency.
The response from ACP was that they didn’t know about this and agreed it could not happen.
what happens when you send them proof that it DID HAPPEN ? c’mon Mark send them photos.
Hate what they didn’t know about was the handing out of flyers in front of our newsagency. They rest they knew about.
A C P have no respect for newsagents at any time in all the years i have had to deal with them. Mark when they come to you as the do tell them to get stuffed . i n our store the do not get prime spot for their mags ,new idea is first if it is a toss up to return stock they are always first choice crap on me i crap back. If this was me i would be out ther giving them heaps and talking to the people who stop at their stand Coles have moved their mags off the checkouts as has the servos,love it could not happen to a better lot
What an absolute disgrace – shame on you ACP!
Jim I hope you are sitting down- I agree with most of your post.
i think GG and acp and .. Ips , they all are the same , they are in bed together to s*&t all newsagencies. My supplies have been triple this month and my return just this week is $10,000 each , incredible what they think i am thier banker or what.
I encountered one of these ACP outposts practically next to a newsXpress at Westfield Carindale (Brisbane). Do what you’ve gotta do at any cost, ACP, right?
When the ACP outpost is gone and the subscription delivery is not as expected, where do you think the customers will go with their ire??? That’s right, the nearest newsagency, because ACP is trading off the industry that built the brand.
Derek – Don’t want to disappoint you but I think you got the wrong Jim – nonethe less, I agree totally with (other) Jim as well so I suppose you and I are in agreement for once 😉
Wendy – so right. When the Newsagent Delivery Scheme folded and Aust Post took over delivery, we got inundated with complaints about non-delivery of AWW (in particular) and other titles. I would have to admit to just a smidgeon of satisfaction in telling customers that it was between them and ACP to resolve but if they chose to have us put the title away when their sub expired then we would guarantee delivery. It actually worked with quite a few.
As the mag sales fall in other outlets they will cut their range or move them to the back just has Coles has done A C P is going to need us .The way they treat newsagents is not good and that tells me we do not need you or want you so i will go ahead with the changes that we are doing in our store
Thanks Jims
Pubishers are in some pain, some are trying to engage with the Newsagency channel however it appears that ACP have decided to push hard for the digital and subscription markets, thats their decision from a business perspective however placing outposts with authorisation from the centre management of these shopping centres very close to the Newsagency specialists in these centres is unethical.
This was a planned move to take customers away from Newsagents because of where these outposts were placed. The people who are affected by this betrayal must of been angry and dissalussioned for a time and still could be.
What does one do regarding this attack? I am not sure as it is an attack from Centre Management and ACP. I think this is the smoking gun that proves that good business decisions need to made to ensure good margin profitability. Marketing groups are becoming experts at identifying this type of product.
In this case ACP showed their hand for all to see. Its up to each of us if we want to see it.
There is no doubt that the move by ACP is a message for newsagents.
I personally think ACP owe you an apology Mark.
You have more than demonstrated a huge amount of support for ACP for a very very long time.
That support is not just for your stores but for the good of all Newsagents, in fact when i joined newsXpress the first thing changed in my store was my magazine department. ACP owe you and your team a big thankyou for showing newsagents how to sell more mags which can only benefit ACP and other publishers. I like ACP and the people i have met that work there but this is a real “kick in the guts” to such a supporter of them.
I do hope you get a real apology Mark….come on ACP……it is Christmas after all…….
Al
Alan, Well said Mate.
ACP have given newsagents a clear message and now its up to newsagents to give ACP a clear message!…….I had ACP ring last week wanting to make sure we had our posters up, windows displays dressed with Magazine offers…etc etc etc……..yeah right guys, it’s all about margin products front and centre this time of year.
Had a victory today – customer came in wanting a year’s sub for Womans Day for her mother who lives on a station serviced by a mail contractor – explained that we could do it but at full cover price it would be quite a bit more expensive than what I knew she had been paying for a sub from ACP. Her heartening response was that despite many phone calls to ACP, and many subsequently broken promises by same, the mag in question was often up to a fortnight late – so based on her own experiences with us she decided to give them the flick and go with someone she trusted ( her words, not mine). Perhaps if ACP got honest and told the truth about the perils of direct subs then outposts would be seen as what they really are i.e. desperate acts by desperate people spongeing off the hard work of those who have been primarily responsible for their “success”.
Pathetic bastards really!!!
“”UPDATE: We had two representatives of the ACP Magazines Magshop outpost in front of our newsagency today offering subscriptions to customers walking past and customers leaving our newsagency.””
Unbloodybelievable.
What the hell is up with those ppl ?
The spruikers would obviously not be full time permanent staff of ACP.
What did Centre Management have to say about it if you got to them in time ?
Lance it was too late, the ACP Magshop representative had moved on. They say – what can they do. A bit like ACP when I told them about it the first time it happened.
Note in todays issue of Retailbiz that Westfield have engaged Driving Edge marketing to set up kiosks in malls. The have listed ACP magazines as one of their customers.
try this one for size. i have a customer that has organised a subscription for RLW to be sent to our newsagency as it is easier to pick it up from us than the post office. it gets better, last week her 1st issue did not arrive before the weekend, and i had stock on the shelf, she wanted to take one of my copies and i could have hers as a replacenet when it eventually turned up. needless to say i declined her generous offer, and was even very polite throughout the whole conversation.
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Rick, I hope you are charging a holding or deliver fee for this service……perhaps charge a one of fee equal to a small PO box’s annual charge.
Poor customer relations? Not when she is not your customer for this transaction.
@ Rick and Brendan
$106 for a small box with new key fee off of the top of my head 🙂
You should just return to sender marked “unknown at address”. I hope she buys alot of other things off of you during the year Rick to make it worthwhile and I hope it doesn’t catch on with other customers for you .
im pretty sure that a lot of the mags are going to arrive late , aust post can be very inefficient at times 🙂