A lesson for magazine publishers and distributors
Magazine publishers and distributors could learn a valuable lesson from Australian calendar publishers and distributors.
For years now we (and a couple of hundred newsagents) have carefully selected the wide calendar range we carry. Each year we achieve double digit growth. We carry the risk with a firm sale commitment and work the commitment hard by ordering carefully, managing floorstock, refreshing the displays and ensuring excellent customer service around out point of difference.
Calendar publishers are happy. Customers are happy. We are happy.
We and plenty of other newsagents are showing that a commercial and respectful relationship between publisher and retailer works.
We are achieving what magazine publishers and distributors say is not achievable with magazines in the newsagency channel. We are demonstrating that we have the capacity to manage our title range and product volume to the benefit of all stakeholders.
Any magazine publisher keen to break out of the out of date magazine distribution model and form a commercial and direct relationship with newsagents should look carefully at the calendar model. It works.