This is not a scientific study so beware. Having made that disclaimer I report that I’ve been looking at sales data from a bunch of newsagencies. The last six to eight weeks have been hot in terms of magazine sales.
There are several partworks titles which are doing great business: Gods of Ancient Egypt, Essential Parts of Beauty; and Horrible Science. Horrible Science is a sell out in just one week! Newsagents own partworks as no other retailer touches them. They are high overhead with many retail challenges.
There’s Notebook. The new home and lifestyle magazine from FPC. Great sales.
There’s Real Living. The new lifestyle magazine from APC. Great sales and it’s only been out four days.
There’s the Marie Claire 10th birthday edition. Another sell out in a week.
There’s above average sales for Australian Women’s Weekly, Better Homes and Gardens, New Idea and Woman’s Day.
There’s the new Sudoku segment in the crossword category. Now with ten new titles on sale, none of which existed just three months ago.
There’s the university guide segment bringing six new one-shot titles this year, one of which will dominate. No other retailer carries these titles.
All of this is boosting the vitality in newsagencies – more so than our competitors because it’s in newsagencies where space is given to well promote the launches and changes. In supermarkets and convenience stores it is rare that new launches and promotions receive prominence.
We are tracking year on year sales growth for magazines of well above 20% in our own shop and above 50% of the HOT women’s weeklies segment of the category. While we have some in store drivers working this, I am seeing strong sales growth in other newsagencies which tells me that this winter is good for some newsagents in terms of magazine sales.
I’d say we’re in the middle of the hottest time in magazine sales for several years.
Now if only I could get enough stock to satisfy the customers who come in after we’ve sold out!