Both Fairfax and News are engaged in trimming supply of newspapers to newsagents in Victoria from what I am told. The cuts are about reducing wastage. The challenge in some situations can be the knock-on effect for retail only newsagents who rely on a nearby competitor newsagent for supply. In this situation, the retail only newsagent can be cut by more than the cut in supply established by the publisher.
It is frustrating to me that publishers will guarantee supply numbers to major supermarkets but not too retail only newsagents who could, in some cases, sell the same volume as the supermarkets.
While I appreciate the need to trim supply to reduce wastage, there are some points in the distribution model where selfish decisions are made which can hurt newspaper sales.
Mark this has been happening for ever in the day . an eg for you is not one newsagent in town had a spare australian to sell yesterday as we all got cut back that much i was in negative numbers . and our old mates at coles and woolies there supplies stayed the same . and with the CM well it seems they prefer to give them away to the schools because i know one school that gets 30 and they only have 15 kids in the school and about 4 teachers so why are they doing this is beyond me . So for sbagents that winge about not getting a good enough supply from your agents think about it we very rarely get enough stock to sell in our own shops
Trimming wastage makes perfect sense. Inefficient and ill considered cuts do not.
Mark
This has been happening with all Fairfax Product in Southern NSW for 3 months. A desired return rate of less than 4% by Fairfax. Where a large number are received it is not so much an issue. However papers with smaller numbers it is is imposible to balance subs and reatin all sales. Sales are now suffering on these papers. I receive 200 copies a day of the Wagga Wagga Daily Advertiser for 6 sub agents and myself if there is more than 8 returns(4%) you get cut.
Ditto Wendy.
You are right Peter, it flows onto subagents as well.
Their are considerations that are not taken into account, Seasonal, weekly/daily surges due to events, weather and whats the major stories.
News Ltd new circulation interface is not bad, however the Draw change (paper adjustment) function is in my view is very unfriendly & inflexible. I have a tolerant area area rep that helps me with my adjustments.
I am sure many Newsagent or direct supply business’s received a step by step guide via email in the last we to help which was very good however the Draw Change function needs to be reworked into a simpler interface exactly the same as the connect site supply is all that is required.
This weeks been a shocker on cust backs for us… Mon sold out 9.00am, increased on line and then cut back later in the day? Tues out by 7.30am, attempted to increase aloowed and then cut back, Wed out by 12.00, again on line update and then cut back, thurs same Fri same…
Spoke to rep last week told her firm number we need for counter and subs – she promised these would be Ok… spoke this week, not my problem they are cutting back…
Positive is we sold out of teles, as we received 5 fold our normal supply all week – but we are in QLD?
We have same problem. Home delivery plus subagent is more than total supply. So nothing for our shop. Simple fix. We just buyout all of The Australians at our local Safeways and Coles. We’re on their doorstep at 07.30 opening time. Any leftovers we just return for credit. Very easy and low cost remedy, plus a great spoiler tactic. Why don’t we have a day, where we all do it. Kind of a reverse boycott. The Australian is a very easy target. Imagine the message to be sent then.
Ricky,
Can I suggest that instead you short supply the Australian to Coles and Safeway, and let HWT know the quantities so that the charging is correct. In time you might find that your supply is fixed, and if not at least you don’t miss out on profit.
Dean totaly agree if you are already on low numbers and returning stock from else where of course you will not be getting an increase any time soon . On the other hand i also see where ricky is coming from it is most likley from over time of not being able to get a propper supply that you have to resort to doing what ever it takes to get supply . Keeping customers happy is #1 thing we have to do.
Helps if the Australian would actually turn up LOL – none here Sat 24th.
May I say here kudos to IPS. Yesterday was Albury Gold Cup half holiday so we sold out of Winning Post’s in the morning. Yesterday we rang IPS for more today and they came !!!
Our quantity issues at the moment are all with the Sydney Telegraph.
The Wagga Advertiser wouldn’t even send us more papers when the floods were on, they could have sold twice the daily amount for ten days or so down here with all our enquiries, but no, not one extra paper was able to be spared!!
h
here at Coota your comment on the Wagga Daily Advertiser is very true. There is on obvious dissconnect between editorial and circulation. No one looks at it (whats in it) and says will it sell more then supply more. This is one paper where good flood, murder, mayhem stories and weekend sport can greatly drive sales in my experience by + 50% at times. I am regulary loosing sales of it because I am out of stock.