I have been re-looking into newsagencies in Europe recently to see if there is a possibility to export our product. Our product is extremely well priced not only in Australia but apparently in Europe even with our strong dollar.
It is also fascinating to discuss with newsagents here the problems that they have and compare them to the problems that Australian newsagents have.
These delightful people that I met own the eight biggest newsagency in France. They have some absolutely beautiful shops.
Cash flow because of bad magazine distribution is much less of a problem in France then Australia. Yes they have the same problems as an Australian newsagent when the goods arrive and the invoices do not match up. If you see here this is a sheet of incoming magazines, the item circled on the photo is wrong.
Only one error in a day is considered extremely good.
What they never get are magazines with a return date of more than three months. Generally it is weekly. Not only that but they have much less of an issue with receiving piles of magazines, that the newsagencies cannot sell.
What I believe is partly the reason is that newsagents in Europe pay for magazines only after they are returned. Not when they come. This means that a magazine supplier cannot use as in Australia, newsagents as a bank.
At the very least what this shows is that magazine suppliers can do a better job then they do now in Australia in distributing magazines.
