Magazine distributor Gordon and Gotch blocks small business newsagent return of AFL Team Coach product

This communication from Gotch to a newsagent yesterday demonstrates the lack of control newsagents have over magazine supply inn their businesses. This drives lack of reasonable control over labour cost, space cost, shrinkage cost and cashflow cost.

The newsagent, for reasonable commercial reasons, decided to return the title. Here is the Gotch response:

Subject: AFL Team Coach Product 7231831

We have received your request for a return on AFL Team Coach Product (either Cards or Albums or both). At this stage, your return has not been processed. As you are probably aware, Team Coach product is extremely sort after and you should be able to sell all stock received to date. On this basis we would like you to reconsider this request and hold on to the product. Also, you will not receive any further stock from us so you will only need to sell what you have received to date.

However if you still would like to return the product, please email our National Contact Centre with the following info at contactus@gordongotch.com.au. However please DO NOT send back any stock with your regular Gotch returns until we respond to your request.

1. Product type (Cards or Albums)
2. Account number
3. Qty being Returned

Regards,
Gordon and Gotch

What a poor response and a waste of time for the newsagent on tiny margin product.

There should be no approval needed. This product is sale or return. The newsagent has no control over supply. Gotch needs to be responsible.

No wonder newsagents are reducing their space commitment to circulation product.

Until newsagents are treated with fairness and respect, like business partners, magazines will continue to fade in relevance. This can be reversed. It would take publishers pressuring Gotch to fix their systems, once and for all.