The margin newsagents make on calendars from magazine distributors are a perfect example of the brokenness of the newsagency magazine distribution model.
Distributors and publishers think they are doing us a favour offering 40% gross profit can delayed billing to January. These terms are out of date, they are unacceptable.
I make 60% from calendars and I don’t pay for my stock until late in January.
What’s more – I choose exactly the calendars I want and I do this based on what I know about what will sell, data accessible through analysing magazine, card and gift sales.
Calendar publishers ought to not participate in a scaling out of calendar stock to newsagents who do not want this sub-standard margin product.
While I appreciate some newsagents will accept calendars through magazine distributors because they know no better, the current supply model is wrong and out of date.
Calendars are an excellent sales opportunity. In my experience, as a benchmark guide, you should be able to sell calendars worth between 50% and 100% of your monthly magazine sales.
To calendar publishers using magazine distributors I’d say – you need to offer terms that are commercially viable for newsagents. If your own model cannot then stop using our channel as there are other calendar publishers who do partner with us on terms that are mutually respectful and viable.
I do not order any calendars from the mag companies , some still turn up and are sent back instantly ,but some are delayed billing I am keeping these on the shelf until my actual calendar order turns up that has gone missing and then I will send them back as well .
Football calendars are kept as I can’t get them elsewhere but apart from that they are returned unless I know they fill a gap. And the diaries they keep sending, fair enough for magazines that we sell well but some of them are just space wasters.
How do we stop them coming?
Write to them, on letterhead. Explain why you do not what them and the impact on your business if they do go against your wishes and supply.
I just received notification that our local bi-monthly magazine HIGHLIFE is producing a calendar this year RRP $29.95 commission and terms same as magazine – 25% charged at end of on sale period.
I have passed on that this commission is too low, however it will only be for sale in our area and we sell 200-240 each issue of their magazine so to pass it up would be dumb but then to sell at this commission is not fair as we will give it prime space as we do the magazine.
Have discussed with some other newsagents in our area who agree but I guess it all comes down to cost for the publisher.
what would be a good % to make off local mags that don’t go through a distributor . We have a fishing one that wants to sell to us but I am not keen on the 25% that they offer and no returns
shauns I wouldn’t take any magazine firm sale for 25%. We get 25% of our local magazine, they deliver to our shop, pick up full returns and then charge for what we sold.
who are the other suppliers