We sought out How It Works, a terrific magazine from the UK, as part of the expansion of our magazine range. With the regular magazine came allocation of the annual. We received four copies and sold three in four weeks. That’s $59.85 of additional revenue.
I am often challenged by newsagents on how they (we) can increase revenue from magazines. Here is one example. Chase titles, expand the range to suit those who shop with you.
We are using the various versions of How It Works and sister titles to make our newsagency more interesting to people who like shows on TV like Mythbusters. It’s a title that sits well next to Smith Journal, as well. We’re happy with sales so far.
Magazine publishers need to understand that the magazine push model makes it hard for newsagents like us who want to expand range.
We are having some success with How It Works also, trying to place it in positions that suit certain topics and customers, according to the cover. The specials done by LIFE ( eg a current one is Neil Armstrong GG code 518660) and National Geographic (eg a current one is Your Brain GG 51831) are also good bonus sales for the $20 mark. More like books than magazines.
Baz it surprises me that some newsagents say we’re wrong to chase titles like this. One said to me recently It only encourages them – meaning the magazine companies.
It’s interesting Mark as I’ll always chase titles specifically for customers but am wary of of just adding titles normally as it’s amazing what else arrives in the months following that are sometimes related but of no actual interest to the purchasers of the initial titles. I have that problem alot with the miniature modelling titles and the rail related ones. I suddenly find all of these vaguely related titles appearing that no one buys and then are an absolute PITA to get rid of off of allocation because the system (specifically networks) won’t allow a cancellation of a title until after its return date is finalised as it shows the initial allocation as sales until this date.
As you highlighted in your last sentence, it’s the distributors who are stopping the growth of good titles because many are wary of opening a floodgate of unwanted titles everytime we chase a particular title that we see as having value in our stores line up.
i would like some mechanism whereby i could inform NDC, GG and IPS how many pockets i have allocated to each of them in my store. It would then be up to them to drop off a poor performing title ( and they have the data to know what is not selling) if they want to introduce a new title to my store without asking first.
I could then review my pocket allocation on the performance of each company and the quality of product they have to offer. Offer me crap or worse send me crap (overseas puzzle books for example) and i will cut your allocation in my store, and if it was industry wide, this would force the distributors to be performance orientated, instead of the current max volume system the use now.
Rick, sadly they do not have a formal process for this.
I suggest you write to Gotch and Network advising your total pocket availability and pointing out that in considering this they need to allow for waterfall and half waterfall displays.
By writing to them, you place a line in the sand re supply to your shop. While they could say they do not know what the other will supply, the reality is they know exactly what titles the other has and therefore would reasonably know the titles they would supply.
Well I’m excited, today here in Sth Aust I received 6 copies of ‘Choosing a school for your child in Victoria’. It has a 7 week shelf life, is $9.95 and it will only fit 2 in each pocket. Needless to say I will be returning it early. If this is not a grab for cash buy NDC I don’t know what is!
To the Staff at NDC, I am in SA so I don’t need magazines on schools in VIC, Weddings in WA or Pool Builders in NSW.
Ben,
I have had the weddings in WA, and “Weekend 4wd trips from Melbourne.”
I regularly get North East Fishing from VIc.
I am in Far North NSW.