Do you charge your sub agents for the collection of newspapers being returned?
While you ponder this, I think it is ridiculous that there remains a physical process around returns. Newspapers are a slim-margin product for distribution agents and for retailers. requiring physical returns to be returned if a cost impost on both parties.
It is time newspaper publishers eliminated this old-world approach. They have the data. They can spot audit. It is time the ‘tax’ of physical returns was removed from small business.
Mark,
Firstly my comments only relate to News.
News appear to have chosen NOT to be part of the electronic world for Newspaper Returns.
Newspaper supply figures via XIT (and returns upload) is a much more secure and accurate way to process, especially as News in SA are asking the question ” could they control the supply figures for all subagents”
Why is it that G&G accept accredited Newsagent Software System numbers (both Sales Data and Returns) and yet News can’t or won’t.
If G&G’s external audit requirements (via XIT), are meant, why not News? Or is simply that the “back end” of News can’t accept the data and they choose not to invest in an IT solution?
Personally we don’t have an issue with taking back returns, but only 20 mins from Adelaide Print Centre.
News in Adelaide, want all Subagent return bundles cut open, checked for Subagent error, them counted by days and re-bundled.
We fully audit one (1) Subagent per week.
When the commission was 12.5%, the above could happen. But now, it just can’t be done with lower commission rates, due to the high labour costs.
News in Adelaide do a spot audit of Returns.
Mark, I’m interested in your comment “they have the data”
John
John do you charge sub agents to collect returns?
We do not charge subagents to collect returns.
We deliver their papers and we pick up their returns, as we have for many years.
If out of area they pick up from and return to us.
Mark
No never
As a sub agent in Adelaide :
– no XIT, physical returns once a week are less onerous than magazines using XIT, scanning and topping
– no cost involved in return other than string
Allowing for labour, I make more from papers than magazines, they bring in more customers and revenues are holding their own with publishers aggressively pricing. On a space utilisation basis, newspapers are highly profitable compared to magazines.