We were grossly oversupplied with a bunch of new small-format Puzzler branded titles last week. Not only did we get a bunch of new titles we did not need to satisfy shopper interest in puzzles but we got way too many. Ten copies of a new title is too many.
Crossword and puzzle magazine publishers using Network Services should be asking why Network did this. from where I sit this action can only dilute attention for existing puzzle and crossword titles. For example, what do Lovatts think about this – a bunch of new titles competing directly with their mini books and distributed by the same company.
We’re short on room so on the weekend I decided to early return the new Puzzler titles. A better approach would have been for Network to give newsagents control over whether they took on these titles and if they did, the volume they desired.
This is a good example of the broken magazine distribution model in Australia that magazine publishers and distributors enable.
Footnote: occasionally when I write a post about the magazine distribution model I think why bother? Nothing changes right? The thing that keeps me chronicling just some of what newsagents have to put up with is that one day someone who can drive genuine change will realise the harm done by a few to what should be the most important route to market for Australian magazine publishers.
I have also been sending these back , lovatts tittles get prime position ,they look good and they have a flow about them when it comes to displaying them ,also Lovatts is the only magazine tittle where a publisher has actually ever bothered to pop in and say hello .
on the topic of over supply today i also received 2 lots of bundled mags that have also been early returned simply based on the fact that i have no room and i cannot find an extra 5 or so pockets for them when the mags that are already inside the bundle have a space allocation .
over supplied with basically everything today, not just crosswords.
Public Holiday, just the 2 of us to keep costs down.
And we get half a warehouse dumped upon us as thought its a “normal” monday. No consideration by the “BIG 2” at all.
Early return hard and often, it’s up to the publishers to fix oversupply. The current model actually encourages oversupply by gotch and NDC. Luckily I am tops only and I hit it very hard, not just at the end of the month either.
By returning lots and often hopefully the publishers will grow some balls and do something about oversupply.
Agree publishers are to blame ,they employ the distributor to do the job
It is important to remember that not all publishers have the resources to micro-manage magazine supply.
I believe that there may also be some delay in the data that publishers receive, restricting their ability to accurately forecast supply and set print runs.
Ultimately the newsagency industry has to take responsibility. We accept the contracts from distributors that allow oversupply to take place. We sit on our hands and don’t take up the fight. We allow incompetent people to control industry associations.
Oversupply affects many publishers just as it does us. We should consider those publishers our friends, not our enemies, when working towards a solution.
Jarryd…..why don’t you try and drive change in the associations from the inside?
Ted history has shown that the only way to affect change in associations is if you have a block of directs in agreement on a plan. Once person cannot do it.
ted,
If I were not stepping away from my current position next year I may be inclined to take up that challenge. As Mark says, it would almost certainly require a block of people running for board positions. There would be quiet a bit of work involved in just getting elected.