Several newsagents have mentioned to me that during the Bauer Connections conference last week a comparison was drawn between the performance of magazine titles from Gotch versus Network with the inference being that Network success reads as Bauer success over Pacific.
If the feedback I’ve heard is anything to go by the comparison did not help build support for Bauer / Network. On the one hand Bauer people say they want the channel to be stronger yet their newsagent engagement is selfish, often seeking to drive consumers to their titles and away from competitor titles. A publisher focused on the broader health of magazines in newsagencies would take a more co-operative approach.
I attended my first Connections conference
this year.
I can see this being read into the Network presentation but the accompanying story was of a newsagent reducing their pockets and so their range asking Network to reduce the magazines that were being sent out by the exact same quantity as they were asking Gotch to cut. The speaker was asking for us to look at our individual sales data before taking such action / early returning.
Got good value out of the time I invested to attend in the way of pointers about the way magazine shoppers shop, store layout, and overall remaining relevant in the ever-changing retail landscape.
Joseph if I was there I would have wanted to know the store name to verify. For example, how did Network know the reduction request was the same number for them as Gotch? Also, why is such action necessary when Network has plenty of titles with unacceptably low sell-through.
It’s wrong for network to say what about Gotch when challenges just as it is wrong for Gotch to say what about Network?
I don’t know if any other newsagency received a reminder notice from Network Services regarding their overdue account, but I received a letter today and it was dated 20/08/2013. The day the account was due. I have an impeccable record with these people and feel that they are being very abrasive in their dealings with newsagents. Nothing new there..do they send a letter to the supermarkets I wonder when their account is not paid by close of business on the due date.
Bev , always do , no big deal they get there money just in time for the end of the month . I suppose if they said the cut off date was the 30th some wouyld then push it for another week anyway,so I see the point in having it at the 20th as long as they continue to let us stretch it out until the last couple of days of the month
It’s a pity they did not apply the same attention and diligence to providing a more equitable supply allocation.