I am grateful to the newsagents who have shared magazine sell through rates data over the last couple of weeks. Yesterday, I emailed Tower Newsagents and received more than 600 pages of data which I will work through over the weekend.
Seeing magazine distributors supply a title for six months and more with a 100% return rate is evidence of appalling behaviour. In one newsagency for which I have the sell through rates in front of me right now, this is the situation for at least thirty titles.
This perpetual 100% return rate is like rolling over a loan from the newsagency to the magazine distributor. While magazine distributors have excuses, I can see no reason for the continued gross oversupply.
I am using this data, and magazine cash flow data, to build a fact based case on the magazine supply model as it relates to newsagents.
Is the sell through rate a proper way of measuring our results or it it more about measuring the success or failure of the Distribution system. To me it is measuring how well the distribution sysytem got it right or wrong and not a Newsagencies performance with sales of a Title.
The distribution sytem can and does increase supplies to levels that suit it but which do not necessarily suit the Newsagency concerned. The distribution system then I believe gets renumerated on what it distributes with us, their customer having to manage what the distributors do.
On checking Net and GG websies this morning it extremely difficult if not imposssible to delete a Title so much so you have to ring them and waste time waiting for their call centres to answer your phone call ( a 10 minute or more wait is not unusual.
Peter, it is good metric because it is something which the distributors understand and claim to use. If we are to negotiate fair trading terms then we need metrics which suit both sides.
The Netonline website is a joke. It is impossible to properly adjust your supplies. The website does not even allow you to change your supplies on most titles due to “frequency”. Any changes that are made only last for a short period before reverting back to the old figures.
We have recently taken to emailing NDC a list (5 pages) of magazines which we are unable to properly adjust on Netonline. According to a call centre worker, NDC must reply to your email within 48 hours.
So far it has helped, but for how long?
Nothing stops them from randomly dumping hundreds of magazines out of the blue, the infamous “New Titles”.
Today we recieved 15 “Choir and Organ” magazines……
Newsagents are obviously aware of these problems, and I wonder why it has been allowed to continue for so long? The problem seems to only be getting worse.
OMG you got an email reply from NDC within 48 hours???
I can’t believe in this day and age that they are so anti-email utilisation. So much more expedient, not to mention easier to cover the behinds of both parties. It’s all there in black and white.
Which all makes the whole on-hold loop talking up ‘you can email Network 24/7’ bullshit all the more laughable.
Who is at fault here? The Distributors for maximising their income, the publishers for paying for the inefficency or the ANF for allowing the crap to continue. I am convinced both distributors have dollar figure target to distribute to our stores. You can change it all you like but it soon returns to the same figure. I have done this many times in the past. Now sadly I have moved on from trying to change it, instead I just play the system as best I can using the Retailer early returns process when arriving mags. It works for me.
Bill, I’d blame the distributors as they control what we receive.
I produced the magazine sell through rates report at the weekend for the first time for this Mark. I am shocked! 33 pages of magazines which sell 40% of what I received OR LESS. OR LESS!
Like so many newsagents I was “too busy” to spend time understanding. I knew I was being oversupplied but not on such a large and consistent basis.
We have to have to HAVE TO fix this.
Mark I have sent you my data. Please let me knox how I can help.
I just had to adjust my partwork supply for a title. I have 6 customers and I was getting 4 copies. I went online, adjusted the issue from 4 to 6 and the software told me that I could not have 6 as this was BELOW my sales average and I must have 7! So I asked for 7, I will return it and I guess some other agent will miss out. So whoever gets one less next week, I am sorry.
Nothing wrong with this supply model!
Brett….ROFLMAO