The following has been sent to all network retailers in Queensland and Tasmania.

Click on the image for the notice.

The main news is that Network is expanding their "Pick to Light" system in those states. What that means is that when the distribution centers get the DD2 files, Network create picking slips based on how they have the magazines set up (the packing order) and then produce delivery dockets from that.

This has produced dramatic improvements in efficiency with far fewer errors but has resulted in invoices not matching the bundles.

Queensland and Tasmanian newsagents like the rest of the East coast will as a result go "Two steps forward and one step back."

We are working in a program now with Network to reduce this problem.

The Magazine Publisher’s of America has just issued their report on the latest trends of magazine circulation, although American, it does have relevance to Australia too.

I particularly found interesting the figures that show a decline in single sales of magazines and the increase in subscription. This suggests to me that the current emphasis on newsagents selling single copies is wrong. Newsagents need to be encouraged to sell subscription, and they are in a perfect position to do this.

Click here for the report.

It would be nice to see an Australian version of such a report too.

Click here for details

Point by point on this sheet, here is Phil our support manager comments for what it means to newsagents

1) XChangeIT files will now be sent as late as possible so there is more chance of the invoice quantities being correct. As far as our software goes - no change. I just hope that they arrive on time. To often the physical items come before the invoice.

2) This is a change to the week numbering system used internally. You can change to week numbers if you want, but Network still officially have the off-sale dates and there is no reason to move from this.

3) Newsagents should find that the XChangeIT DD2 files match the bundles once again.

***** This is the major benefit, but let see how well it works in practice******

4) This is a policy decision on behalf of ACP. There is no reason it could not have been done in the past.

5) Network have been promoting this since last year. All newsagents should already be aware of what is going on. Our returns documents already deals with this and it is nothing new.

Regards,
Phil
Support manager

With everybody asking questions about statement fees, we just received this clarification from News Limited in regard to statement fees.

The only circumstances under which a postage fee can be applied is where the customer has first been offered the option of receiving their account via email with no additional charge, and has instead chosen to receive a hardcopy invoice via Australia Post. HWT can provide a template customer letter for newsagents to use.

Stephen Kaye
Circulation Director
The Herald & Weekly Times
T 03 9292 1221

Victorian newsagents using our software can charge a statement fee as our software can easily be set to these requirements. 

Daniel is running our Gippsland User discussion. It should be a good meeting.

Click on image below for details

Like always there were some last minute changes to the newspapers on Anzac Day.

Now however all our clients should have the information sheets for management of newspapers for the ANZAC day weekend. If you did not get it please let me know.

There is also a copy available here   (Outdated file - decommissioned)

Click here for the details for the 2010 ANZAC Day AFR bumper schedule

We are now collecting notes for what is happening over the ANZAC period.

Both Sydney Morning Herald and the Melbourne Age will be published as per normal (i.e. no Bumpers).

The Australian Financial Review will publish as a single-edition Bumper, on sale between 23 and 26 April, then publish as normal from (and including) 27 April.

Following the other two major magazine distributors, NDD is going weekly.

Like the other two they are going to a weekly cycle which is different to the other two. Why could they not all have used the same weekly dates?

News limited given South Australian country newsagents a top-up of about 6% more for delivery fees given in February.

However, there is a slight change to the previous release as it now specifies that an account keeping fee can only be charged if a printed copy of a statement is sent to the customer.

Still, SA newsagents have done well with their $1.50 account keeping fee and an overdue fee of $3.00.

Our software has a sheet that can be faxed to a magazine supplier with adjustments requested.

Network have already stated that they will no longer accept these sheets. Today Gordon and Gotch announced that.

Our Contact Centre team does not accept fax from any outlet either -- manually or computer originated in fact we have taken the faxing facility away from our Contact Centre team altogether.

We suggest that you no-longer use this report. We are investigating whether they can be emailed. However their preferred method for you to enter shortages, extras and standing order changes is through their respective website.

While negotiating with the publishers, Victorian newsagents argued that like South Australian newsagents they should be allowed to charge a statement fee. What News Limited unexpectedly did was agree on condition that newsagents offer their clients a free internet email solution. So Victorian Newsagents have to on client request provide statements electronically. If they are unable to do that then they cannot charge a statement fee.

Of course newsagents in other states can use this to save money too. It costs nothing to send an email statement.

The latest delivery fees for NSW are here.

As expected NSW newsagents got less than Victoria but what was a surprise was that they got such a big increase of 30%. This increase is probably is as much as the public will take.

Media watch last night on the abc did a "special" on the current newspaper distribution model and future expectations for the channel.

Link to the transcript is here.

The episode is also available online.

Thanks and Regards,

Adam
POS Solutions WA

[link removed]

The ANF has just released the new home delivery rates from News limited.

VICTORIA
HWT announced the outcome of the review to newsagents today. The main points being:
•20% increase in seven days delivery fee.
•Effective date: Monday 12th April 2010
•Agreement for newsagents to charge $0.55 postage fee on mailed accounts.
•Changes to the late delivery subsidy payment.

NSW
Effective from 12 April the seven day delivery fee will increase from $0.80 to $1.04 (inclusive of GST). This represents a 30% increase on current figures.
The next fee review will commence in March 2011.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Country Newsagents: In addition to recent increases APNL proposed the following increases up to $1.00 for seven day delivery and has agreed to the addition of an account keeping fee of $1.50 per invoice and a late payment fee of $3.00 for regional agents.

TASMANIA
Davies Brothers Pty Ltd has advised an increase of approx 21% to the home delivery subsidies paid to newsagents for a 7 day subscriber for the delivery of The Mercury and Sunday Tasmanian. The home delivery fees that apply to the Herald Sun and The Australian remain unchanged.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA
The Sunday Times advises an increase from $0.35 to $0.40 effective Sunday 18 April.

NORTHERN TERRITORY
In January 2009 The Northern Territory News provided a 53.84% increase in delivery fees and has not increased fees at this time, expecting further reviews in early 2011.

QUEENSLAND
The retails Cover Price of the weekday edition of The Courier Mail will rise on July 19th 2010 to $1.10. All subscriptions will rise accordingly. There has been an increase which will be implemented in April 2010. This increase will see the seven day delivery increase from $0.85 to $1.00

Years ago we brought to our clients a hotline emergency after hours service. It never changed and is available for emergencies.

What this Easter showed is that many businesses that serviced newsagencies need to set up such a service too. Newsagents are supposed to be agents for several large firms, yet what are they to do when they do not know what is happening? Are the papers late or are they not showing up?

Someone that knows should be always contactable.

Note the pharmacies have this, why not newsagents?

Already Easter is starting to confuse people with their accounts. If you have a query with a customer over understanding his account, we have a help sheet.

There has been much confusion about the A2 supplement for Good Friday and Easter Saturday newspaper.

Our computer systems can identify those customers who receive a delivery on both Friday and Saturday. It then produces a list for the delivery person. Instructions on how to do this are available in the Easter section here.  (Outdated file - decommissioned)

If this is too confusing to these delivery people, you can deliver it twice.

Many using XChangeIT are starting to get letters from Gordon and Gotch, chasing up sales data. It is long overdue. It is also fair as our clients are getting the lowest possible price for XChangeIT because they are supposed to be sending sales data. This discount was given because it is important to the industry that accurate sales data be sent.

If you want more help in running XChangeIT, we run a training session regularly on magazines. This is our second most popular course. To book please click here.

There have been some last minute changes so a new edition of the notes for handling the Age newspaper over the Easter break was written by Garth. All our clients should have it now.

The DOS version I have written and sent out.