The allocations experts at Bauer have increased our supply of Elle Australia on the back of a sell through of less than 50%. Five issues in and this magazine is loss making for us and, I suspect, many newsagents. We have promoted the title, given is excellent positioning, co-located a couple of issues and ensured the full cover is on display. It’s not working yet Bauer thinks we need more stock.
Why did they send me 8 more Good Chef Bad Chef today when I still have 22 (from 35) sitting on my shelves???????????????
They are recalled in 4 more weeks, is there going to be an unexpected rush on this magazine or did Bauer have a spring clean over the weekend!
Hoping you won’t return them before Thursday!
Hi Jenny –
Nick the publisher here from “Good Chef Bad Chef” – there was a split allocation of the title BUT if you email me at nick@cmma.com.au – I will try and get to the bottom of this.
We did specifically ask to allocate stock efficiently based on issue #1 sales – which were extremely strong.
The reason for the split allocation was due to the new series only just now being aired by Network Ten. We certainly found with the launch issue – that the TV show gave sales an extra bump. (There are between 250,000-300,000 viewers daily to the show Mon-Fri ) and with 2 x 15sec spots promoting the magazine in every episode (and newsagents) we are hoping to see the same results.
We have also found that 125+ newsagents that sold 3-5 copies (of issue #1) and who were allocated the same as the amount of sales early returned 100% of them – its a balance that we as a publisher are battling daily (as I can see are newsagents!)
I appreciate you bringing this to my attention.
Nick
Nick, our sales of issue one were fantastic, but issue 2 has been very poor.
If I have only sold 12 copies up to date and have 23 on my shelf I really don’t need another 8. Because I am aware that this show is popular I have not early returned even though sales are slow, but I did not keep this extra 8.
Split allocation is great, but Bauer knows how many of issue 2 I and every other newsagent has sold so why not do their job properly and only send to those who require more stock.
I called up last week to order an extra for a customer , and surprise it turns up the same day as this second delivery , you would think somewhere in the system they should have known I would get stock this week , not really nothing to complain about but just goes to show that they have no idea what is going on there
We need a permanent WTF? thread.
15 Nexus tomorrow from Bauer after selling 2 of the last issue and 5 of the one before that. Obscene supply policy!!!!
Jenny I completely agree with what you have said here.
I will again speak with network and see what the story is / was.
Nick
Brendan, I’m with you. Bauer are making some poor allocation moves.
Nick, you’re with a distribution business that is treating newsagents appallingly right now.
And the trouble is also that being time poor and the need to reduce the Monthly account, you don’t have the time to spend on magazines sales history to check that the returns are not losing you sales. You just need to return.
BrettS there are reports that identify these titles for you quickly.
Off topic (again) Does anyone else notice that the last week of the month for Network returns you can NEVER get the supplementary through on time from Netonline.
If all returns were sent by 12pm surely, surely, surely, the returns should be available at netonline for shipping by 7pm.
Every other week of the month both the current and the supplementary are both through and returns forms done and handled for pickup early am Friday EXCEPT FOR THE LAST WEEK OF THE MONTH. Am I a conspiracy theorist or is
it a way to ensure that the last supplementary does NOT appear on the current statement because it misses the deadline???
Anyone else noticed?
Sent all my good chef bad chef back today, we’ll topped them, what a waste of everyone’s times and effort