Author: Mark

Big W is selling the classic Birthday Cake Cookbook for $10.  Our price is $14.95.  While I am disappointed that they are selling this for less than I can purchase the title, I am more frustrated that they are running a one week promotion on a title which will easily sell for the $14.95 RRP as we are seeing in our own newsagencies.  We have plenty of big retailers in Australia at the moment who are so bereft of good retail skills that they think discounting is their only option.  Pathetic and nuts.

I’d love to know from ACP how Big W is able to sell this cookbook for less than our buy price when newsagents account for 50% of all magazine sales in Australia and we pay our accounts on time – otherwise they cut us off.  I bet that Big W has better terms than us.

Almost a month ago I questioned the merit of the Justin Bieber cards we were sent through the magazine distribution channel.  While my disappointment with the 25% margin remains, the cards have sold very well.  Much better than I expected.  So much so that the team at one of my stores ordered extra stock and, yes, they are selling too.  Once again proving that I am not my customer.  We have them at the counter at the height which is friendly for girls ten to fifteen.

At the gift fairs I have attended this year in Australia and New Zealand, plenty of newsagents who trade in the gift space have shared stories of how they have learned the hard way they they, too, and not their customers.  Reminders like this are important as they drive us to create shops which appeal to our customers rather than ourselves.

This is where our team members can help.  In many cases, they are more likely to be our customers.  I see too many newsagents stifle their team member.  Saying no to their ideas could be denying your newsagency a terrific money making opportunity.

We received this bagged pack, Quick & Easy Quilting, on Friday through Network Services from Universal Magazines like many newsagents I am sure. The dark grey band across the plastic bag covers the title of the magazines inside the bag. It looks ridiculous. What were the production people at Universal thinking? Didn’t quality control at Network Services pick this up?  The product is sub standard in my view.

Why are they hiding the title – this is what customers will want to see. Are they trying to hide the title from newsagents so we think this is a new product? Do they want to hide it from customers? Who knows?

The folks at Universal Magazines, and probably Network Services, will say here he goes complaining unfairly about Universal again. They decided to cover the titles of the magazines in the bag.  They decided to send us a product which is of poor quality compared to other product on our shelves. They set themselves up for attention here.

Anyone who spends time watching magazine browsers in a newsagency will know that they do not like bagged magazines.  Especially special interest titles such as quilting titles.  Shoppers want to know if they have the patterns.  How can they tell unless they can browse the title.  I guess the discounted price counts for something.  But, then, the publisher and distributor do not get the customer complaints.  Nor do they have to pick up the trash when bags are opened.

While there is a title printed above the grey bar, you are left wondering what is really inside when you can faintly see a title different to the that which is printed on the outside of the bag.

I will leave the issue of bagged magazines for now – my views are well known.