I was talking with a newsagent this week who does not reorder an issue of a magazine when they sell out. They took this position after receiving knock backs from both distributors to most extra stock requests. They had become disillusioned given that 19 out of 20 requests were knocked back with the message that there was no stock available.
While I hear that too, if it is a popular title, part of a current ad campaign or a high profile title, I will go to the publisher to seek out stock. Many times it can be found. I do this because i want to see how far beyond the allocation we can drive sales. The Justin Bieber one-shot is a great example from this year, Slow Cooker is a great example from last year.
Take the latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens. We sold out in ten days. Thankfully we were able to get extra stock and we are set to sell out of that … and in the process we will have stopped people finding stock elsewhere – maybe a supermarket.
While ordering extra stock can be disillusioning, I’d encourage newsagents to let publishers know as this will help with their planning and give them feedback they can use in discussions with their distributor.
Isn’t this the point of transferring our sales data file every day. Why aren’t distributors using this information to send out additional stock?
If I was a publisher I would be pushing the distributors to provide data on exactly how many stores sold out of an issue, when during the sale period they sold out and what attempts the distributor made to get more stock to the retailer (if reserve stock is available).
The common theme in any of these discussions is problems with the 2 main distributors – the only group the can effect change with the current system is the publishers – they, unlike newsagents, have some scope to influence change.
Nice post Daniel. I would reorder for the customer if possible particularly the popular montlys
Got double my usual supply of Hello this week and sold through in one day.
As Daniel said, the distributors get our info on a daily basis so why aren’t they doing the job of getting more to an agent
who has none left?
Netonline do it ad nauseum (3 copies of TVW which arrive 2 days before the next one)
Sales based replenishment is (or should be) applicable for monthly mags and it should be automatically done by the distributor because that is why we have paid big dollars to be “compliant”
Some newsagents love having sales based replenishment, and others refuse to receive more copies… Thing is, you can’t always cater to the lowest common denominator.
One of our titles experiences a sell out in approx 1/3 of the outlets (before it comes off sale). In the same instance, I have outlets early returning more copies then they sell on average…
We have stock available, but people don’t request it.
I can only speak for our titles, but we wouldn’t prefer that you sell out within a few days/weeks on sale (especially for a title on sale for two months) We spend money on printing additional copies to have available, and they sit there in warehouses…
I have had this problem with agents calling the distributors saying they “have no more stock” yet the day before I had been advised by the distributor that they had 630 copies returned immediately.
When I questioned them about this they told me that their “returns wharehouse” was separate from their “distribution wahrehouse” and that if I wanted stock re-distributed I would have to pay extra (on top of the $1 per copy I am already paying regardless of sales!)
As a new magazine still finding its market I was apalled at this and it was only after I objected profusely that the agent in question was contacted by G&G and told that they would have their copies within the week.
I guess my advise is, if you are a new publisher, don’t think for a minute that these big name distributors are working for you – make sure you get all the facts on how their allocation/ returns and sales figures are calculated before signing a 12 month contract!