We’re ready with the free Australia Day hat giveaway with the Herald Sun this morning. We have been given good stock in one of our stores, just enough in another store and not enough in another. I expect the hat to be a hit with customers. Where it gets tricky is people who purchased the newspaper elsewhere coming to us wanting the hat. This is where we rely on the publisher and the supplying newsagent. As our quantities show, sometimes this works and sometimes it does not. We are keeping accurate data on supply and collection quantities and will provide feedback to the publisher so that they can work with their channel on the next promotion – the promotion needs to work for everyone after all.
The advice from HWT states that our allocation of hats to Herald Sun’s was meant to be 40%, however they only bothered to give us 20%. As we are a large territory receiving over 3,000 papers today, you would think they would get it right, however they never seem to.
We ran out before 11am, and our newsagency lookalike sub-agents (including one Newsxpress in a large shopping centre)have most likely run out by now also.
If HWT can’t get this right, then they would be better off not doing these promotions.
I am telling all the angry customers to call HWT, let them cop the flak instead of me and my staff.
Despite requests during the week for ample stock, we ran out at 9am. Why promote something as big as this and then grossly undersupply?
Maybe if they let GG or NDC take over the distibution of the free gifts we would be laughing
Update – one of our home delivery customers who also buys his Tattslotto from us has now cracked it, cancelled his subscription and will no longer be buying hit Tattslotto from us.
Thanks HWT.
I really don’t understand why customers think it is ok to abuse the staff behind the counter.One particular customer rang back and called all the staff idiots and abused the store manager.This is unacceptable,if only she would ring the paper and let them have it.
HWT are doing major damage to the newsagency channel with there many failed promotions.As the agents are the bad guys in the eyes of the customer.
Ah well we are in for it tomorrow with the Sunday Mail… 150 hats for 1500 papers… We will be out by 6.30am and then cope abuse like last year until we close.
This year however, we have already put the sign up with the mobile number of our QLD Newspaper Rep, whom despite repeated requests for additional stock did not provide…
I am going to let them deal with it.
Cheers
Peter
Mark,
Out of curiosity I would like to know what you considered ‘sufficient’, ‘Just enough’ and ‘not enough’ as a % of papers you received… Given you are a subagent I am a little bemused as how you could receive anything close to what you need…
Did these come from your supplier or other means…
Cheers
Peter
Peter, I was writing about one of my newsagencies. I’ll publish a post shortly with a different stories for my other three stores. Sufficient is a 30% to 50% premium on newspaper supply. This is because of a good relationship with the newsagent and their care about our business.
I just noticed an ad in today’s Sun that there are free pedometers next weekend.
Another day of getting abused by customers.
One of the them even had the gall to tell me that I wasn’t courteous – even though I tried to explain 5 times why we couldn’t give her one as we had run out, yet she didn’t hear a word I said.
Hi Mark,
My question is… how can there be such variation… For 1500 papers (of which 500 are delivered) who can we manage with only 150 hats…
We are the first shop to open in the area so not only do we get our customers, but also other shops when these free promotions are on… we were out of these by 6.30am this morning… and have had nothing but abuse – again… same as last year.
Ann – if your reading… This is another news debarcle, and why do we keep letting this happen…
Cheers
Peter
Made In China.