Further to my post earlier this week about Easy Food, I decided to check the Australian dollar pricing for some other overseas titles. The pricing for Hornby Magazine represents the average. £3.55 converts to A$11.95. While high for a £ to A$ conversion, this is about the norm. It makes me wonder, again, why Easy Food sells for A$3.99 when the UK price is £2.80. Something doesn’t make sense here. It makes me wonder if Easy Food is being dumped in Australia.
Click on the image to see the covers (and prices) in detail.
There is considerable talk among some magazine publishers about dumping of overseas magazines in Australia. People I have spoken with fell it is happening but have no evidence. I wonder if looking at cover price could provide some evidence when considered along with an assessment of a title and whether consumer interest in the segment is already well satisfied with existing titles.
I am concerned that newsagencies are being used as dumping grounds for some overseas titles and that this reducing sales of Australian magazines from publishers who are more likely to support our channel.
Magazine distributors are the key here. When I have discussed it with them they say dumping is not happening. For certainty I would like more than just a statement that it is not happening. I’d like to see a through investigation so that we get to a provable truth.
The last time i had it was in 2009 and it ranged between $7.70 and $9 .
Slightly off topic, BUT, newest National Geographic has cover article about the King James Bible (400 yrs old) and I
sold 4 yesterday after chatting to customers as gifts for older relatives who are hard to buy for. It’s a bit “off the wall”, but there you are, there’s a niche interest for everybody in a magzine shop !
Then there are the regulars who want to know why their overseas mags don’t reduce in cost now the aussie dollar is high. How does Gotch explain that?
I’d like to be able to take these B*^$#ds to the ACCC but it would get anywhere. 16 different crossword titles on one invoice yesterday. They can get stuffed….
In the past, they say it’s because of the variance in dollar value when it hits our shores. Our dollar has been at parity (give or take) with the US for almost the whole year – yet I’m still getting customers asking why the Australian prices are so much higher than that of the cover price today.
Something smells fishy …