Check out the $20 one year subscription deal to MasterChef magazine being offered by the publisher through livingsocial a deals website. 4,101 subscriptions purchased in less than twenty four hours.
While I understand the role subscriptions play in the overall magazine supply mix, a deal at this level can only hurt retail sales. Here we are giving over valuable retail space without any premium return and the publisher trades off this promotion work to undercut our premium offer.
I’ll take this deal into account the next time News Magazines asks me to give them premium space without fair compensation and respect.
4,101 subscriptions purchased in less than twenty four hours
4,101 reasons to provide no further support for News Magazines.
Reminds me of the debacle when they grabbed Alpha!
Masterchef will have little space in my newsagency.
I wonder what would happen if we were offered a discount to purchase their magazines on a no return basis.
I currently buy the sunday newspaper delivered to my home for less than i can get them delivered to my shop. how does that make good business sense???
Guess who? Ruperts mob again.
Show was a finale fizzer – Magazine will be a fizzer in this store. Early return!!
masterchef has been lousy seller here anyway
EARLY RETURN YOUR TOTAL SUPPLY. BOYCOTT NEWS MAGAZINES ALTOGETHER IF THIS IS THE WAY THEY TREAT THE CHANNEL THEY SAY THEY NEED.
I read/flick through a lot of magazines and have noticed recently a big increase in subscription offers. More cards inside, double page spreads, quite often multiple pages (e.g. at front and back) and bigger discounts. I fear this kind of pushing will only increase in the future.
I’ve just removed all bar one copy and have early returned the rest.
It’s a pity the knuckleheads at News Magazines couldn’t have put his money into encouraging or helping news agencies to puch teh mag further. Heres hoping they cut their own throats with this.
TBH though I’ve been looking at alot of the discounted offers for several of the mags I stock and have drawn up a list of offers I could subscibe to and then easily retail for more margin for me without getting caught with extra stock.
normally i would be going on that i will be sending them back BUT latley i am looking at it diferent after reading a blog not so long ago saying that it is part of there business to do subscriptions and now i agree with that . We have to offer a better deal and this can happen with magazine cards or any of the things Mark mentioned on sundays helpfull post .
Problem is when publishers so drastically undercut the newsagent that they make us look like rip off shops.
Take for example Vanity Fair magazine. Airfreight retail $18.95, by sea $11.50. Anyone who buys these from me has a card drop out offering them airfreight direct to their door for $5 an issue with only a 6 month commitment. Offers like these disrespect the newsagency channel. They show a lack of regard for the very channel that recruits readers and introduces the product to the market in the first place.
Contrast with say Delicious magazine. Subscribers are offered a 19% discount for one year sub or 22% for two. This offer is fair. It doesn’t tread on the toes of the newsagent, it rewards the reader for loyalty and it doesn’t make the customer who purchases their copy at the newsagent feel like they’re being ripped off.
Newsagents dedicate a lot of time and space to promoting magazines. We don’t charge for this the way chain stores and supermarkets do.
Affronts like ridiculously cheap subscrition offers lead many to conclude that promotional efforts are better used for other products.
Down the back in the cooking books
Shaun, I agree. I’m not pulling this title for to do so would lose me sales.
Haven’t sold a copy in the last three months, don’t think its about to start now but will put a couple out to test the waters.
And Cameron, I fully agree!
Nice one Shaun
Sorry and Cameron