Author: Mark Fletcher

We have replaced our display of gree magazines at one of our counters with this display of property and investment titles.

Property and investment is an often forgotten category in newsagencies, relegated to second class real-estate. We are hoping, through the display, to remind people that we have a broad offering.

We know from our sales data that the work we have been putting into this category elsewhere in the business is delivering above industry benchmark growth – proving there is a good market in our newsagency.

While these displays are extra work, they payoff is the reinforcement that we are magazine specialists.

I am surprised at the cover of this National Australian Fishing Annual. Maybe the have used a sexy, even suggestive (look at the fish), shot before. Compared to other fishing titles, this one would look more at home elsewhere in the category. There are more photos like this in the magazine. Maybe they are chasing a new demographic to fishing. I don’t mind as I’m only the retailer. However, there is a valid questions as to where to place the title – if they are chasing a different demographic. Guys looking for bikini clad girls playing with fish will not be looking in the fishing section.

For days ago we placed a column of Lovatts crossword and puzzle titles next to Australian Women’s Weekly. While we have done this before with success, this time the results have been excellent – especially with the Christmas themed title. We are tracking a 25% sales increase for the crossword product off an already strong base. The bump from Wednesday to today is obvious on the sales graph.

We have two promotional columns like this near AWW and the weeklies.

We will leave this display in place for a week before replacing it with another – probably Christmas themed crafts.

The Australian is reporting today that PBL Media, owners of ACP Magazines, has purchased half of the local version of OK! OK! has quickly carved out success in the tough weekly magazine marketplace as I have blogged previously.

While it’s a 50/50 joint venture, I’d expect ACP to lead on the distribution side – making a tougher retail real-estate battle for Pacific Magazines. They need either a much stronger Famous or a new offer in the marketplace.

As the report in The Australian says, the major weeklies are having a tough time and that OK! is bucking that trend with sales growth of 18.8% year on year. That’s what I am seeing – strong growth. Hence our decision to allocate more real-estate in the high traffic areas.

I am disappointed about this move from a newsagent perspective because of what it means for competition. However, for ACP it makes sense. I hope that OK! continues as is because it ain’t broke.

Kudos to the folks at New Idea and their participation with Australia Post in the new Steve Irwin tribute postage stamps. The sheet includes the commemorative cover of New Idea featuring Steve Irwin and his two children. This is the second stamp feature for New Idea and the second time a magazine has featured on a sheet of stamps. The first was when New Idea was named 2007 Magazine of the Year.

Bargain Shopper magazine rips newsagents off. It is supplied late in the month – so they are paid next month – in quantities which are three and four times what newsagents will sell and with a ridiculous shelf life. This is appalling behaviour.

I am early returning 26% of what I received this week as there is no justification for such gross oversupply.

This behavior is unconscionable. The publisher creates the problem with their print run and the magazine distributor facilitates the abuse of the newsagent system. This distributor – NDD – ought to know better.

The problem for newsagents is that the ACCC lets publishers and distributors get away with oversupply at four and five times what we will sell.

This is the display we have created next to the counter to promote magazines with an environmental pitch. It’s a simple display, designed to attract.

We have placed the display next to our main newsagency register point as we have found this the most effective in promoting magazines outside the top 50 sellers.

Typically, we will leave this in place for between a week and two weeks – depending on customer interest. We also add new titles as they come in.

I know the display does not look corporate – it’s not meant to. We see this multi-title approach as a service for our customers and in support of the depth of range we have.

Further to my previous post today about Conscious Living, the same health store has Wellbeing magazine for sale. We have it in our newsagency too? Why would a publisher put this stock in my newsagency as well as the health store. The shelf life and cover price makes the title of little value. Getting into two stores reduces sales in one or both so I might as well get out of the space. The health category is doing very well but if publishers like Universal are going to chase other outlets to the cost of my business why should I support them?

It is disappointing to see Conscious Living magazine in a health store not far from my newsagency at Forest Hill. What is worse, is that the publisher lists the magazine as available from this health store and does not list it as being available at my newsagency.

While the two businesses will attract different customers, it dilutes the newsagent pitch as the magazine specialist. Their lack of support on the website demonstrates that we are not central to their distribution plans.

With a six month shelf life, Conscious Living is already cash-flow challenged for newsagents. I am going to re-think stocking the title.

Gee, ex Big Brother housemate Krystal Forscutt is busy. She was on the cover of Zoo last week and is on the cover of XBOX 360 (twice since this issue has two covers) and Playstation Magazine this month. What is odd about the latter two covers, promoting the need for speed game, is that they have each used exactly the same photo. Mistakes happen I guess, production errors they get called – we just need to not display them too close together.

For some reason XBOX 360 magazine has been produced with two covers this month. Everything is the same except for aspects of the cover image.

I can’t see a reason for doing this – it won’t get the title additional retail space and is more likely to lead to confusion among browsers.

I wonder how much browsers take notice of magazine covers. Here are two which were on the shelves in the month leading up to the election. In hindsight, they provide a commentary of the result. While both titles are not top-sellers, the covers would have been seen by many.