We take care in managing space allocation for the top selling magazine titles in each category. We push back against a (deliberate or unintended) land grab by a publisher which may give them an unfair advantage. If a title is packaged with free products we work hard to ensure that its competitors are allocated the same number of facings in its regular location – even though it may get extra attention in a feature display.
With more magazines including free gifts, or so it seems, managing space allocation is a challenge. If left unchecked, some titles will get more space just to accommodate the larger packaging. While this helps their sales, it hurts competitor titles and this would not aid the health of the overall magazine department.
We need to be thinking of the whole category or department in our space allocation. We need to balance space so that all key titles have a fair shot.
I’d encourage newsagents to walk through their magazine department and look at space allocation. Are there titles being given more space than competitors because of the space required to accommodate the free gifts? If so, pull the space allocation back to give all key titles in a category a fair shot. You are paying the rent after all.
The health of the magazine department in our businesses is reliant, in part, on the balance of the mix of titles. Our space allocation decisions can alter impression shoppers have of our mix. Hence the need for us to make sure that we are allocating space based on what we want to achieve and not just to accommodate gifts which are packaged with a title.
Mark, this is an excellent idea, and one that, unfortunately, few newsagents embrace. I also like to look very closely at what the free gift is, If the publisher is merely promoting a past issue of the magazine or another title, why not remove the packaging and label just the current issue. This makes an even playing field for all magazines.
On a side issue: Today we incorrectly received magazines for other newsagencies in our area. It is our policy, as a professional courtesy, to contact the correct newsagency to make them aware that we have their magazines. If they cannot come and pick them up, we have also been known to drop them off when we have a free staff member.
The first fellow newsagent I called was lovely – we had six of his NDD (RDS) bundles – he thanked me for calling, arranged to come to pick them up.
The second was an absolute PIG. I introduced myself, explained that we had mistakenly recieved his stock and his response? “Well what do you want me to do about that? Can’t you bring them here?”. Biting my tounge to the point of bleeding I calmly explained that I am the only one in the store till later this morning however if one of our staff go over to the shopping centre for lunch I would be happy to drop it off otherwise would he mind picking it up. And again his response? ” Right then, Bye” and hung up in my ear. This is not the first time we have recieved this response from the staff at this newsagency and makes me wonder why we continue to show them any professional courtesy when we are shown nothing but rudeness in return.
But I will not, nor will our staff, stoop to this level of professional ignorance and arrogance.
Cheers to the first newsagent who obviously has an idea on what it means to be a newsagent and work together with other newsagents to make our channel a great one.
good to see B i wish there was more like you . we are always missing bundles and not once has anyone called up about it ,and it is not untill you do a ring around that you find out who has it
We always do the same. So far, we haven’t had dramas. I’m happy to drop off if I can (if not too far away, or if I’m not on my own). We’ve had a couple of other stores bring some in for us, but seldom. We don’t bother with ring-arounds for missing stock, unless we have someone else’s which would suggest a mix-up that we’d notify of anyway.
If there’s a next time re the rude one, explain only once that the call is a courtesy only, and it is his problem from then on. And never call him again.
Another wee tangent – I notice that some stores don’t even open their parcels until well in the morning.. That surprises me – I guess I just like to have them out before opening. It’s not a good look to be doing them between customers.