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A newspaper opportunity: The slaying of the incredible bulks
by Louise Banham on 14 October, 2009
Times Newspapers and Telegraph Media Group are rumoured to be following in the footsteps of the Guardian and the Observer by scrapping the distribution of bulk copies.
These heavily discounted copies are used on airlines and in hotels as a tool for catching new readers and, in some cases, they make up a large portion of a newspaper’s total circulation. For example, the Daily Telegraph distributed 91,443 bulk copies this August – the highest of the broadsheets.
Perhaps the removal of these bulks, particularly in hotels, will encourage more people back into newsagents to pick up a daily title. It also presents independents with a chance to grow their newspaper sales through home news delivery.
Just recently, a newspaper circulation director was telling me that many independents are missing out on huge opportunities to supply businesses and hotels with a newspaper delivery service. Regardless of how large or small the business or hotel, you could certainly benefit from approaching them and seeing if you can offer a competitive deal.
Related posts:
- Newspaper sales fall but profits still buoyant
- News International’s bulk cut will help the independent retailer
- Story of ‘an above average’ newsagent
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Comments (1)
Louise,
This would indeed be a welcome move and in line with Murdoch’s view that content should be paid for. It appears that TMG and TN see very little if any return from what is a costly operation distributing bulk copies for a peppercorn. Their exit would leave only Mail Newspapers and the Independent as large distributors of bulk copies.
For many newsagents to be willing to take up the slack, publishers will have to be more equitable and consistant. The Financial Times and The times are both viewed by many as pariahs (and rightly so) because of their direct to consumer activities. There are fences to be mended before newsagents see and embrace the same “huge opportunities” as perceived by your newspaper circulation director. It was the publishers with their “bulks” that destroyed those same opportunities at an earlier time.
There is still an army of independent retailers out there waiting to be motivated by fair and consistant treatment accompanied by a reasonable reward.