There has some concern expressed by newsagents about the quantity of issue 1 of The Art of Crochet part series which arrived in-store yesterday. The Art of Crochet is anticipated to be the biggest partwork launch this year. It is being backed by a national TV campaign promoting newsagencies as the go to places for this title.
My understanding is that the publisher and distributor are hoping to sell more than 100,000 copies of issue 1. This would put it within reach of the performance of the Masterchef launch.
I am not that concerned about the quantities of issue 1 sent to newsagents. The scale out was based on sales for The Art of Knitting as I understand it. I sold 235 copies of The Art of Knitting and received 280 copies The Art of Crochet.
I am responding to the opportunity with a display at the front of the newsagency, an impulse display near our newspaper stand and a bold display in our partworks department which is appropriately located with knitting and crochet magazines.
While newsagents need to make their own decisions about early returns, I’d suggest they hang on to The Art of Crochet for the next two weeks, promote the heck out of the title and measure sales before making an early return decision.
As UK newsagent Steve Denham noted in a comment here last month, sales for the first issue were “huge”. Unfortunately, Steve noted about supply challenges. Hopefully, the publisher has used UK learnings in setting the supply model for Australia.
Footnote: The Art of Knitting has been extraordinarily successful for us with customers sustaining putaway orders long after the launch.
My concern is the timing of the launch. In our store we are unable to give it a big display because of Fathers Day, QCS, Hallmark promo’s etc. I could have done this much better had it launched 6 weeks ago.
Sarah – I would be trying to find display space for this as it is the women who are buying the fathers day presents and it might actually be an add-on purchase for themselves. Just a thought.
My reservations are that the scale out was based on a partwork issued in late 2007. That was a whole different world of retail in 2007. I would have liked some inclusion in the decision making process or at the very least a split issue.
Okay so I decided to get behind this art of crochet magazine and blow me down I have sold 35 coipies since yesterday morning. mark you talk about adding to the basket. It is working with this.
i early returned alot of this stock…. and i got it wrong. i have had to re-order.
sometimes i do silly things, just ask my wife.
50 copies sold in three days.
i almost early returned, glad i didnt as have sold out now, you just never can tell
sold out in 2 days but only received 10 now i am just taking orders for it
This was a great launch issue at a price that interested people. The proof of a good mag will be as the issues become $7.95 how many repeat customers we can hold onto and how supply works out.
hope better than those dammmm tractors which still have not got the orders right one issue perfect next issue back to back orders ,not to mention whyat we are still waiting on
SELLING NOW THE ADDS ARE ON TV SOLD OUT WILL WAIT AND SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BUY NEXT ISSUE
I have been trying to get a copy of this issue all weekend and everywhere I go they have either sold out or don’t have any left on display and a promise to go get more from ‘out the back’ has resulted in lengthy waits with no results. How do I get a copy of this magazine?
Christine, call around to newsagencies. Someone is bound to have stock. I am in Victoria and we have 100 copies left in one of my stores.
Hello, Mark. I went to a few newsagents in Melbourne city this weekend for this magazine after watching the television promotion. Sadly, no copy could be found. Is that possible for me to buy a copy from one of your stores? If yes, please let me know the location of your stores. Thank you.
Dorothy I know it is at newsXpress Forest Hill, newsXpress Knox, newsXpress Watergardens, and Quayside newsagency in Frankston. I expect it would also be available from hundreds of other newsagencies in Victoria.
Did not recieve any stock at all, could have sold at least 60 over the weekend…..but i guess we will never know.
Live in the Bayside area and have not been able to get a copy over the weekend or today when I’ve been in the city. Anyone in those areas have any copies left? Thanks! 🙂
When is the second issue going to be available in stores? I have tried to find this our from the suppliers websites but I can’t find anything…
6th September is what we’ve been told
I’m a consumer in Sydney desperately trying to find a copy of this! I’ve been to 13 outlets so far, going further and further afield, but everyone has sold out. I would be happy to subscribe direct from the publisher if I could just find out who that is! Can anyone point me in the right direction? I will watch this thread for replies.
Maddy without knowing where you are we have some at newsXpress Macarthur Square,
Campbelltown.
Sarah, on sale date is 8th sept. Our 68 stock went missing on wednesday, replacements arrived today. But seems all in area sold out or silly early returned so now working in our favour.
I have sold out with great intrest shown by the punters. My Misses brought one and on opening it there was extensive promotional informaion particulary aimed at Direct Subscription without the Newsagent. I noted it needs a folder/s to porperly save and present the collection rather like the stones partworks and others. Will Newsagents get to stock and sell these folders We did not with Elvis partworks and others.
I think Crochet will be good for us but how many customers will we loose to direct subscription after what has at times proven to be a dysfunctional distribution model in some cases.
I hope this does not go the way of Tractors where I lost 8 to 10 subscribing customers as I could not get supply.
If a customer subscribes direct do they still suffer these problems ?
Peter,
Its a shame when both of the subscription flyers fell out of the plastic covering of each copy.
I’m in the same position as Maddy.. I really want issue one but everywhere is sold out! I’m in Perth if there is anybody out there that has any left?
I was wondering if anyone knows when the next issue will be coming out? I asked my local newsagent when they would be getting it but they don’t know either. They did say they’d hold the copies for me when they got it though 🙂
I bought 4 of the intro mags for myself and friends. $2.95 is good value but I probably wouldn’t subscribe as it is high frequency (1/week) and pretty expensive ($7.95/issue) unless they keep throwing in free gifts. I would rather keep an eye out at newsagents for interesting issues and buy when I see something I would like to make.
Liz issue #2 came out today.
DOES ANY NEWSAGENCY HAVE ANY OF PT 2 ART OF CROCHET LEFT??
I HAVE CUSTOMERS WAITING BUT THE WAREHOUSE IS OUT OF STOCK AND CANT TELL ME WHEN THEY WILL GET STOCK IN
hi mark just want to say we’re getting nice number of putaways for the art of crochet series.
I’ve been trying to subscript online without success – the website redirects me to bissettmags but the link to their website appears to be broken. How does one subscribe online for people in Australia?
I’m up in Cairns & trying so hard to get a back copy of Issue 1. Keep getting told that there are no back issues available. Can ayone help me?
I live in Perth and have been desperately looking for a copy of No 1, if anyone can help would really appreciate it, Thanks
hw many issues are left ??????
does anyone know if part 1 backorders will be filled? have customers desperate for this issue!
Yes, we had #1 arrive last week for our customer.
My mother in law in WA can not get a copy of issue 1, but is a subscriber thru Bissett Mags, who have promised her issue 1 but not provided it. Can I get onein WA?
Hi, Can anyone help me with the collar of the grey and blue striped jersey? I dont understand how to do the increasing. Thank you
does anybody know how many issues there will be
i hav been receiving my subscription okay. but have not received my free gifts.i would like these to be sent to me please,as im enjoying the projects and they would be better to do with my free gifts. thanks
Wonder how i can get this mag in New Zealand?
I have two copies of no 8 and no copies of no 11 and 12. Does anyone know the postal address of the distributor please.
I have been recieveing my subscription since the start when the newsagent was unable to provide me with the first issue. there is 120 issuses in total and bob (no26) issue 1 will arrive mine took 30 issuse to arrive but i did get it
I have been receiving this magazine from the start although I did have to wait for Issue 1. My problem is I’ve been waiting for issues 13 to 18 since the beginning of the year and also a binder which I ordered via my newsagent months ago. I can’t get answers from the newsagent as to when I’m going to receive these and when I try to access the website for Bissettmags I keep getting error messages.
Kathy we face this problem with most partworks , they send you heaPS to start then just enough to cover orders and then they go one step more and don’t send enough even though you have the sales for it , then you have to start the back order game that very rarely do they give you any answers on when it will turn up
The only real solution is:
1. STOP supporting news agents.
2.DoNOT buy The Art of Crochet.
We can all learn to crochet a lot cheaper elsewhere and what do you really want from a News Agents?
You can get your stationary etc from a stationary outlet and or wholesaler, and you can get your newspaper from the local shop, and you can buy a gift card or make one elsewhere.
As for lotto – gambling – just stick a few cents in your piggy bank instead of hoping to win the big one and never winning.
In other words, get real. Don’t live on false hope and dreams while buttering the news agents bread.
Keep YOUR money YOURSELF.
You can learn to crochet free.
Wake up. We all have to wake up. You wouldn’t support abusive people and people who have no respect or regard for others would you?
Enjoy life and stop supporting these people and agencies who take you for granted. Spread it all by word of mouth.
As for their socalled member’s cards. They are the ones who benefit in . Cancel them. xx