I am undecided about the increased number of compact size magazines we are receiving with their full size parents. Traditional newsagent magazine fixturing is not designed to cope with these yet I can understand that some customers would prefer the smaller size. Beyond the display challenge, which can be fixed with a block of wood, there is the stock issue. When a title introduces a compact version we are often supplier close to double the usual supply until the sales level for the store is reached. Newsagents fund this until the level is found.
I wold like to see us agree terms for new titles and title extensions such as is happening at the moment with Cleo and its compact edition. Bill us once you know what we have sold and not in advance. the technology can handle this easily. It places responsibility appropriately with the publisher for the launch.
Network Services, the distributor handling Cleo, aggressively chases payments on the 20th of each month from newsagents for everything supplied for the month prior. They pursue payment more aggressively than any other newsagent supplier. With some of this money due to titles still being tested in the marketplace, a fairer approach would be for more flexible terms around these titles. The current arrangement sees small business newsagents unfairly funding this testing.