I checked our sales numbers at the weekend to see the performance of the Cake Decorating series. In a week we sold more than 30 copies. This is by issue 20, well into the series.
While we have been helped by certain supply, for which I thank Network Services, we have driven the success with good placement and co-location.
Beyond the sales of Cake Decorating itself, our sales of baking and cake decorating titles are up, there is a solid knock-on effect of a successful partwork series.
While some shoppers get putaways, most come in a purchase off the shelf. Since we are in a shopping centre with more irregular shoppers than a high street or rural newsagency this makes sense.
Cake Decorating is a valuable success for us.
That said, not all partworks are as successful. The key is to fully embrace every opportunity as it’s the only way to learn if a new title will work for you.
Footnote: Herein lies the schizophrenia of the newsagent / magazine distributor relationship. Yesterday I complained about network sending me a fishing title I had no hope of selling (kept it for six weeks and it didn’t sell) and today I praise them for helping me achieve excellent sales week in week out for this port work. We inhabit a strange space.