Newsagents who order a magazine they do not usually stock for a customer put away request often find that the distributor adds to the requested quantity. We need to be able to order a fixed number, as a put away request, and not be burdened with additional stock for which we have no space nor time to manage. Smart newsagents know more than magazine distributors what will sell.
I definitely have this problem with several titles.
Not only do they send at least 2 copies, then three, then four, but then month by month they add all the other titles in that speciific category. Hence someone who wants Canadian Snowboarding a couple of times ends up causing the store to have overwhelming copies of snow/ski/travel mags for up to 2 years. At first I desperately tried to cancel titles, but I’ve given up, too much angst, system doesn’t work anyway.
Cancel 2 titles, receive 4 new, cancel those 4 and receive 6 new, cancel those 6 and receive 12 new titles that were cancelled last year.
Just early return and cancel nothing
Job done.
This is a given from all distributors but like Jason has stated, early return and cancel should do the trick.
Just had a look at what will be delivered on Thursday. Surprise surprise, my allocation of Great Bakes has been increased from 1 to 3!!!! we are only up to issue 6 and this is the second time they have done this issue 4 was increased to 4. When I contacted Network and asked why they had done this, the reply was just because!!! Why do we bother. When we request and increase on magazines with a sell through we do not seem to be able to achieve the necessary supply. Of cause they are always able to increase supply of overseas rubbish etc even with zero sales History. Joy to the Distributor.(;-)
I think we need to start invoicing the distributors for the cost of labels.
Most of our labels are consumed by labelling magazines, and a lot of our magazine supplies are unnecessary oversupplies.
If they keep oversupplying “just because” then we should send them a bill for the RETAIL cost of labels – not what it costs us…
All I know is that newsagents no longer take back orders which is a real hamper to my business. It’s easier as more and more become Apps and I can track them down but it is of no help to the newsagent, is it?
Leanne this is a rule dictated by magazine distributors not newsagents.