Talking with a newsagent yesterday they explained how they were denied access to an increase in supply of Queensland Country Life by Australian Community Media.
They have been selling out of Queensland Country Life, as have their sub agents. They sought a modest increase in supply. The folks at ACM decided on an increase, but it was too small, smaller than what was requested.
Considering the increase in supply request, the newsagent looks at when in the shelf life cycle the title sold out. This can help forecast what could be sold. It is an approach that newspaper publishers themselves first used in Australia in thirty years ago in determining suburban newspaper top-up supply.
The only way the newsagent can satisfy their shop customers wanting to buy Queensland Country Life is to cut sub-agent supply, which will result in their frustration for sure.
The newsagent has a track record of excellent data and terrific results for this title. Unfortunately, the publisher appears disinterested.
I would have thought that now is not the time to be so frugal with a supply bump so as to deny certain sales of a title. I suspect advertisers in Queensland Country Life would want their ads reaching more eyeballs.
The situation was made worse by poor processes at ACM. Contact is challenging. They either want to sell more copies, or not.
This whole story is silly … silly in terms of the time the newsagent has had to spend on as slim margin products, silly in the way ACM manages contact, silly in the decision ACM ultimately made.
But it gets worse than silly – I am told the newsagent posted on the Queensland Country Life Facebook page, and they deleted the post. I posted a comment there, too, and next minute it was gone.
We had the same problem increasing our supply. The problem is when you beg and finally get an increase, the customer that has come in store to purchase the Country Life and finds we have sold out 3 weeks in a row, doesn’t return. Back to square 1!
I had this same problem for approx. 2 years. Constantly requesting an increase in QCL and Nth Qld Register, and being declined, due to returns of 1 or 2 from subagents.
About 4 weeks ago I tried again and was told someone new was in charge and “they are pretty good about increases”. They were right I finally got my extra 5 copies a week that I had been after.
We have been a subagent for 3 years now.We always sell out of the QCL every week.I have asked our distribution agent to increase our supplies,but refuses to do so ,as she would rather not send returns back to the publisher.
Perhaps a strategy to drive online subscriptions?
Curiously, late last night I received a private Facebook message from someone on the social media team for the magazine. Even though the message was hidden or removed or somehow not shown, they saw it and offered to help, which is good news.