I don’t want calendars off of which I make less than 50%. This is why I am making sure I don’t get the calendars IPS has allocated to newsagents. IPS emailed newsagents with only the weekend to opt out of a bad deal.
Check your IPS email people.
But back to calendars. I said I want at least 50%. In fact, I get 60% for most calendars I sell. If the majority of calendar publishers and distributors can provide us with this why not for calendars through magazine distributors?
Calendars through magazine distributors are usually a waste of time and money for smart newsagents.
is there a special way of opting out I cannot find anything on the IPS site maybe I have not been allocated for them , I hope not anyway
I have emailed Customer service asking for acknowledgement so that at least I have a copy.
They now appear under the edit supply tab on the IPS page but it wont let you set to zero. This is just wrong of them.
WOW JUST FINISHED my mags for the day and cannot believe how many calendars have arrived from NDC wayyyyyy more than last year and I returned them all last year
Shaun you should have cancelled your allocations.
Bauer asked us to set our own quantities for calendars. I set them all to zero – but received them anyway – what was the point of asking?
Shaun, You are not alone. We received hundreds of dollars worth of calendars today after Not setting allocations for these titles (Mainly as we knew it would be a waste of time anyway) Ontop of this we have received waaaay more supply then any other day in recent memory. Bumping up their numbers for the new quarter?
I myself have just started returning quite a lot for end of month returns.
And all the calendars will be going straight back now.
About to cut magazines back by about 180 pockets, I will have about 600-700 left.
I really don’t know where magazines are heading for Newsagents at this point in time.
Can the Supermarkets really be moving this much product for G&G and Network to have no interest in Newsagents?
In all fairness to IPS I have been receiving loads of Italian/Spanish mags from them and when I rang to tell them that I did not require nor request them and that my demographic was not of that ilk they gave me an instant credit and asked me to return them to Toll when Toll next delivered to me.
I felt they were pretty fair so I thought I would comment here as they are getting a bit of a “bum rap” from newsagents here.
While your looking out for low margin calendars be sure to keep an eye out for IPS’ latest sneeky move, the last minute allocation change. Several times over the last 3 months or so IPS have raised my supply of a magazine at the last moment before delivery the latest being that hot seller the DPS guide to retirement. Delivery is tomorrow and I’m receiving 4 copies because last week my supply was raised from the 1 copy I had requested (1 is as low as IPS would allow I really want 0). This has happened on a number of occasions so I now check my supply 2 or 3 times a week but when the allocation is raised at the very last minute theres not much you can do about it. It an absolute disgrace how IPS does this and tells you everything you need to know about their attitude towards the retailers who sell their products.
Steve , I received 2 last time and returned them tomorrow I will be receiving 4 , unbelievable or what
This is appalling conduct by IPS. Last issue I got two, sold none. My supply was I believe left at two, but tomorrow I will get five! Just bullshit!!
I wrote to IPS and asked to be withdrawn from Mag Supply as after 3 years I had sold virtually nil. They complied immediately.
I’d love to get rid of IPS but unfortunately they have a couple of titles customers request I get in and I’m not about to upset my customers just because I have an issue with how IPS operates. So I rant and I send pointed emails to them asking them to explain why my allocations are changed at the last minute without referrence to me which they just choose to ignore.
Steve: Small Business Commissioner or similar state-based authority. It will get their attention.
Same deal I need best bets ,winning post and bush n beach and maybe a pigging mag and thats about it and to get these I must accept all the other crap /. I did tell them if they continue to send me mags that are not wanted I will close my account , they said they will close the account if I do not accept all the other mags well try them at least
Cancel the contract and explain why. There are too many other excellent opportunities for newsagents to worry about this.
Shauns,
I get all of those too – just not the magazines – email them, they are not too hard to deal with.
Brett I have tried before after someone on here helped me out , problem is I do not get enough of the ones I actually sell to warrant them giving me an account ,so they said I would have to close it if I did not wish to accept what ever they throw at me
Shauns I ran into the same problem when I tried to go direct suppy with the publishers of the mags I wanted, they would only direct supply in too large a quantities. Which is 100% fair enough, after all they are paying IPS to distribute their magazines so why would they inconvenience them selves to do it direct.
UPDATE :I have been in contact today with IPS (thanks Mark) and glad to say I think all problems have been fixed
That’s good shauns, but it doesn’t excuse the unjustified last minute increase in supply of the DPS Retirement Guide highlighted yesterday. These types of issues should not need to be fixed!! They should not happen!