Comics are not performing well. Not just in my newsagencies but in many for which I get to see data.
Overall, comic sales are down. Unfortunately, supply for some comics is not falling in line with the sales decline. This suggests that these suppliers are not respectful of the newsagency channel.
A consistent sell through of less than 60% means that I am losing money. Hence the decision to review supply in my own newsagencies. This means cutting some titles and resetting base supply figures for others. Based on stock I pulled off the shelf yesterday, I expect to save in the order of $500 in cash-flow.
I suspect that print comics will be an early casualty to digital platforms, certainly with the consumer (as opposed to collector) audience. iPhone apps, see here, here and here, make them readily available.
The review in our own shops will focus on selecting a range for the smaller amount of space allocated to the segment and ensuring that we are not supplied beyond this.
The saved space will be used to expand other magazine segments.
All our teenage mags are dead too, but they keep sending all king of teeanage mags like there is no tomorrow.
We’ve moved our comic section twice in the last year. First to the other end of the store, then back to in front of the counter.
We fixed up this area first, to make more pockets for a smoother-flowing display. It was pretty pox before, so even as an impulse item, they didn’t look the goods at all. At least the display looks better than it did.
While comics are pretty outrageously priced (IMHO), the smaller ones, like the bagged, cheaper DMAG, etc, are moving much better than they were.
I’m happy to leave them there for a bit longer, and give them time to pick up a little more.