We received stock of the 2009 Country Collections Diary from Network Services in my newsagencies on Wednesday this week. I was surprised, so was the publisher, Universal Magazines, when I contacted them. While they have investigated and resolved the issue for my newsagencies, they have not, yet, addressed the issue in other newsagencies. I have encouraged Universal Magazines this week to:
- Publicly acknowledge the problem.
- Tell all newsagents to return the diary in their next returns cycle.
- Advise the distributor to immediately credit all stock pending reconciliation with newsagent returns.
- Communicate this to newsagents through various forms urgently.
I am not happy that I have been taken care of as this issue is not about my businesses. This issue is reflective of systemic behaviour by distributors and, to some extent, publishers. The solution needs to be systemic.
Too often, our suppliers fix problems for noisy newsagents yet continue the bad behaviour with the majority of newsagents who are not noisy.
Fixing the Country Collections Diary problem in my newsagencies does not help the channel and it is the channel I care about more than my three newsagencies.
This is why I am blogging about it this morning. Universal Magazines needs to understand that the distribution system which abused newsagents with supply of the diary this week is the problem. They need to urgently fix this so that I can trust commitments they have med to me in recent times.
UPDATE (9/3/09): Universal has gained agreement form Network to recall these diaries this week. This is an excelleent outcome.
It’s frightening to think (or hard to believe) that the owners of the product, the publishers, do not have control of these issues. (or so they say).
My sceptisism is warranted based on the frequency of these issues.
Universal have recently acknowledged some of the issues that effect newsagents, and have told us that these issues have been addressed. Let’s see how far they have come in a month?
I’d like Universal to try a different approach to our channel. Increasing our margin on their magazines to 35%.
How many of us would do promos, displays, increase focus on their titles if we had that carrot dangling under our noses?
Only a thought.
Michael,
good point. I’d even say 40% margin like we have with ABW books
I received this too. I blame network, they are killing us. Mark what can we do to get the credit like you?
Denise, I have put this to Universal and hope that they will come through with an answer early next week. In the meantime, the more newsagents who identify receiving this diary the better.
Denise,
Do you have access to Netonline?
I have recently culled a heap of underperforming titles and cancelled supply. You can’t do it with all ACP titles but with the other niche’s Network distributes you can cancel them. I’ve also emailed wayne ravenscroft when I’ve had issues in the past re supply and they have been attended to.
I’d advise you to spend the time in culling for all 3 distributors and think you will find the cost savings are massive.
Re the above topic. Its in- excusable. Still I have to agree with Vaughan, for Universal to plead ignorant is flat out bs.. Its their business for christ sake! Lets face it this publisher has has an awful track record in the past which Mark has highlighted. I know they have expressed a desire to work with newsagents more closely, but this doesn’t help. A 2009 diary out in March? WTF?
I also agree with Michaels thoughts re greater commission or even better, a variable commission structure for magazines.
We received 8 copies. The network kid i spoke to said universal asked them to be sent to us. yeah right!
This is a clear example of what the channel experiences. On this occassion it was resupply.
I am unsure what would of happenned if Mark did not notice and contacted Universal to find out the reason.
I am happy to congratulate Universal on its quick action and arrange a recall.
Only Distributor and Publisher know how they communicate and supply newsagents. Are things improving? Because I am not a big shop its hard to answer however instant credits are given through supplementries (usually oversupply) being done via internet applications accept Network has put limitations on what you can return via netonline which is wrong in my opinion.
At the moment that is a big improvement on a year ago when paper copies were flying everywhere.
I would hope that this situation has given Universal the encouragement to continue bridging its relationship with the channel, I cannot speak for others however since Mark put his neck on the line a while ago with Universal I have seen in my small shop a smooth transition adequate supply.