One of the most common requests for help I get from newsagents at the moment relates to sourcing additional magazine stock. By the time I get the query they have already tried ordering through the distributor website and or calling their call centre. Newsagents are losing sales by not being able to get extra stock. This means that some in our channel are not being properly resourced with access to backup inventory with which to achieve their full potential for some titles.
Some go and purchase stock from supermarkets. While this hurst sales data it protects them from losing customers. I can understand newsagents taking this action.
If only some distributors (call centre representatives) cared – but they don’t.
I received a call from a representative from Gordon and Gotch after not receiving my weekly That’s Life magazine. The representative told me that I wouldn’t get it now to the following Wednesday – when the next issue came out. I asked her what use that would be with her responding apathetically “well sorry” then hung up.
If only they understood that I would lose sales for that week. But no, at least THEY get paid for the week so everything else doesn’t really matter.
It’s not the sole cause of the problem but oversupply of some titles means that back up stock is not available for those who need it, rather it is sitting unwanted at an outlet that wont sell it anyway. This stock should be available from the distributors warehouse.
As an example, our card merchandiser has now twice come up with stock of the Hallmark Merry-Okee microphone that she has collected from stores that found it slow and we are now selling our 4th delivery this product. The magazine distributors would benefit the magazine chanel but having this flexibility.
While