I’ll call them New Age titles even though some are not. Newsagents are being supplied these is growing numbers and they are not selling. Titles like Hard Evidence, New Dawn, Life Extensions, Strange Times, UFOlogist, Creation and Spheres. I have more than 25 of these ‘New Age’ titles on my shelves at the moment with a total value of around $1,500. A couple of years ago I would have had less than ten such titles.
So, why the growth in this ‘fringe’ category? Many of the titles relate to fear and conspiracy. They don’t do much for my shop and the area does not attract browsers.
My frustration is that someone somewhere is making a decision on ranging product which has nothing to do with the value of the product or how it may or may not suit retailers. This is why newsagents need a say in controlling new titles, from a ranging perspective. We need to develop a centralised function in association with the three magazine distributors to stop problems like I have with these ‘New Age’ titles occurring.