Newsagents in South east Queensland, far north New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern territory received late notice this morning of a price increase for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Sun-Herald.
Smart publishers provide newsagents with good warning. They also let the newsagency software companies know a few days in advance so that instructions can be sent to newsagent customers. This late notice costs newsagents and software companies time. On a weekend the impact is more severe with some casual weekend staff needing help to make the necessary changes.
We’ve heard nothing of a price rise. Does it affect metro Melbourne and if so which days?
As far as the memo says it is because of increased distribution costs so the increase is a freight charge for regional areas.
Yes it does Brendan. $3.60 today, $2.60 tomorrow and $2.20 M-F for Vic, Tas, NT, SA and WA.
How long before NewsLimited follow? They could slap on a nice 30c-50c increase and still be cheaper than the competition.
Or perhaps just an increase in advertisements to cover rising costs?
Thanks Mark, i have been open for over an hour and this is the 1st i knew of the SH price rise……have been selling SH for $2.00 all morning. Just checked the delvery docket from my main agent and he still has the price at $2.00…..?
Yep, we got notice mid-morning yesterday. We enquired, to be told that it was on Connect.
Hello. Connect information is usually not in chronological order (both publishers are guilty of this), and often it’s only tacked on after a few complaints. Seems the onus is always on us to keep our crystal balls and xray eyes in top working order.
As usual, poor form. At least the opposition bother to let us know (usually in writing) in plenty of time. We’d already sold heaps of SMHs yesterday morning, before being advised.
Now, for magazine publishers to let us know about price rises..
I did not receive notice that the Saturday Age had gone up. I receive only one copy for a customer order. My daughter who works a Melbourne newagency told me about the increase.
Thanks Mark, I learn more from this blog than I do from my supplying agent. It will be interesting to see if their delivery sheet shows the increase when we recieve the Sunday SMH tomorrow.
I rang my main agent to let him know at about 8.30 yesterday morning, he had only found out 10 minutes prior and was not at all happy. He has a lot of subs.
Interesting to see that its gone up in every other state except NSW…its apperently due to the cost of freight.
What about newsagent’s cost of freighting papers around while we deliver them. Don’t see them paying us any extra for that do we?
Agree totally with Subaru.
I would like to see a delivery cost increase, seeing as my petrol costs keep rising, among other things.
I have spoken with a certain newsagent who was authorised by HWT to add a 10c a day surcharge to a particular delivery run (country)
One more thing, if Fairfax cuts my supplies again, I will deliver to one less subscription for every paper I am short.
If they would let us charge what we want then it is a win win . we would chase more customers and they will get more customers and every one is happy . All of my customers pay more for there paper delivery it is either pay more or get out of bed and drive in and get it and by the time they do the sums it is still worth while getting them deliverd .
Shaun S: can you tell me how you manage to get your customers to pay more when they are billed directly by Fairfax for their subscription? They have already paid them, how do you invoice the extra charge?