Jump to content
 

BRM Price Increase


Poole
 Share

Recommended Posts

I have just received my subscriber copy of BRM September 2018 and have noticed the cover price is now £5.50.

This is an increase of nearly 16% from the previous month of £4.75.

Would someone at Warners care to justify this massive increase.

Personally I think the powers to be at Warners are inflating the price of the paper magazine in an attempt to get people on to digital version.

I for one will not be going down the digital format.  

Link to post
Share on other sites

Personally I think the powers to be at Warners are inflating the price of the paper magazine in an attempt to get people on to digital version.

 

Hmm, it might seem that way, but I hope that's not the real reason for the price increase. It'd be nice to hear/read the actual reason rather than speculation.

 

G

Link to post
Share on other sites

Steve, the publisher, may be able to give a better answer tomorrow as to whether it was a one-off. Anyway, as a subscriber, it won't have cost you any extra.

 

We are, however, putting a lot of effort into bringing more content to all readers - but I will say that you do get even more added value with the digital product (because so much more is possible via that means).

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

I have just received my subscriber copy of BRM September 2018 and have noticed the cover price is now £5.50.

This is an increase of nearly 16% from the previous month of £4.75.

 

I suspect that now the £5 barrier has been broken many casual browsers and occasional buyers/readers simply wont bother.

 

Assuming, of course, that the higher price isn't a "one-off".

 

I'm sure we'll find out very soon - and I'll find out at the same time whether I'll continue to be able to afford buying this magazine.

 

 

Hmm, it might seem that way, but I hope that's not the real reason for the price increase. It'd be nice to hear/read the actual reason rather than speculation.

 

Fair comment.

 

I also wonder if there might be some connection with the recent "DVD-gate" malarkey:

  • With the magazine marketed as being routinely supplied with a DVD, what happens to circulation figures if the DVD's missing from the print version of one issue?
  • This presumably leads on to another question -  would newsstand customers still buy the magazine if it were marketed as "DVD free"?
  • Some people might even be mischievous enough to wonder which sort of clientele certain magazines might be targeted at - "Flannels" or "Sports Direct". Of course, I couldn't possibly comment.

 

In fact, I don't think I'd be in a position to comment about the likely answers to any of these questions. I certainly don't expect answers to these questions - they're none of my business - but I'm guessing that Warners are expecting their recent "market research" exercise to yield some data.

 

For the sake of clarity, I'd better make it clear that I also don't want to invite a slanging match here - on this or other issues - so I trust that nobody is about to "mistakenly" accuse me of chucking about a truckload of (non-existent) fireworks.

 

 

Steve, the publisher, may be able to give a better answer tomorrow as to whether it was a one-off. Anyway, as a subscriber, it won't have cost you any extra.

 

We are, however, putting a lot of effort into bringing more content to all readers - but I will say that you do get even more added value with the digital product (because so much more is possible via that means).

 

If there is an answer tomorrow, I suspect that a number of people will be very interested. (After all, this does seem like "one giant leap" for a magazine price.)

 

As already implied, I suspect that this answer might help to inform some paying customers' answers to another question - whether to continue buying BRM.

 

Time will tell.

 

 

Huw.

Link to post
Share on other sites

This reminds me of an a story I heard many moons ago, of old boys in a pub saying that they'd give up the drink if the price of a pint went beyond a £1. Canvassed a few recently, and if it goes beyond €5, they swear the same.

 

It's a worthwhile investment in either format imho, even better with dry roasted peanuts and a...  :stinker:

 

RM

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Evergreen post. Cf when locos get to £100/200/300, coaches £25,30,50,75 etc.

If you think 75pence is a lot of money, you may be in the wrong hobby.

There are a couple of points here.

 

£5, or indeed 75p, might not be "big money" (especially in a hobby where some of the prices quoted by even mainstream manufacturers for locos, rolling stock and DMUs can politely be described as "eye watering" - but then how many of us can actually afford to buy new RTR these days?).

 

However, all these price increases everywhere add up - and a lot of people are on low, fixed, incomes, which aren't tied to the RPI (or any other measure of prices which is recognised by anybody in the real world).

 

This means that, to try and "keep a lid on" costs, some people need to check, every now and then, if discretionary purchases are still within the personal budget.

 

In other words, can I still justify that magazine or that show admission, both of which have just shot up in price.

 

This was why I wondered if there might be a connection with "DVD-gate", which could perhaps be seen as a step in a cost cutting drive.

 

Let's face it, I seriously doubt the commercial viability of having "DVD included" and "no DVD" versions of the same magazine alongside each other on newsstands - so trying to wean retail print customers off the advertised DVD might be one way of cutting costs.

 

Another might be to say that no version routinely comes with a DVD - but offer annual "taster" DVDs and themed in-depth "how to" DVDs at shows and over the web.

 

What to call them might be an issue in itself - I believe "Right Track" might already have been "taken" - and I can't see Warners coming up with a title called "Parker's Guide" … .

 

 

Huw.

Edited by Huw Griffiths
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Evergreen post. Cf when locos get to £100/200/300, coaches £25,30,50,75 etc.

It may be an Evergreen post but I do wonder if numbers do gradually decline because people simply stop buying . Result , the market becomes even more niche , with higher prices , with the necessity for each unit to have a higher margin (to recover costs), thus self perpetuating.

 

While 75p is not the end of the world it would be interesting to hear the reason for the increase. as far as I'm aware the price of pulp hasn't gone up , and as yet I don't see other magazines increasing their prices to such an extent.

Link to post
Share on other sites

It may be an Evergreen post but I do wonder if numbers do gradually decline because people simply stop buying . Result , the market becomes even more niche , with higher prices , with the necessity for each unit to have a higher margin (to recover costs), thus self perpetuating.While 75p is not the end of the world it would be interesting to hear the reason for the increase. as far as I'm aware the price of pulp hasn't gone up , and as yet I don't see other magazines increasing their prices to such an extent.

I'm sure warners track a) circulation figures split between digital and non-digital b) advertising revenue c) are looking to monetise click through advertising from the digital copy. When brm stops making money for them, the title will close. That's reality. It may be the case that a rise in price coupled with a managed fall in sales/transfer to digital makes them more money. Total turnover/sales figures alone don't equate to the bottom line.

 

Equally, I don't know when they last raised their cover price. If it was say two years ago, then the increase now may look steep but is less when measured over the time since the last price. They may also view it as a price to hold for a given time period and hence its value to the consumer will increase. We also don't know how their suppliers have changed their prices which all feed into the total price paid.

 

They're the professionals here and understand the market and the data, not us. We have to decide if we want to pay the price they choose to charge for their product or not.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

I can remember the personal heartache when the price of 'Railway Modeller' increased to 2/6, something of a leap in itself but then the most recent copy I have cost £4.60.  Such changes are called inflation and in many instances with magazines they tend to come in big lumps because publisher's try to hold down their cover prices for as long as they can, I somehow doubt that is changing much in this market.

 

We could of course go on about the huge salaries paid to the BRM/RMweb team and the expensive cars they all drive to and from their palatial mansions everyday but that would be a nonsense of course.  Costs rise and cover prices rise and, let's be honest about it - it costs us nothing to come on here and make comments about it and in the overall Warners financial pool of model railway publications something, somewhere, must be paying for RMweb.

Edited by The Stationmaster
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

We could of course go on about the huge salaries paid to the BRM/RMweb team and the expensive cars they all drive to and from their palatial mansions everyday 

 

 

You didn't mention the housekeepng staff. .. or the valet . .who else dresses Andy 

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

As with most industries, publishing isn’t immune to increased costs. One such example is a recent substantial price increase on paper with further increases expected in the not too distant future. In most instances we’ve absorbed these cost increases.

 

For a number of years BRM has included a free DVD, something that is very expensive to produce. Adding value of the magazine ‘package’ is something that has worked incredibly well for the magazine. We want to take this one step further in coming months. I don’t want to give the game away too early, but over the coming six months newsstand readers will see what I mean…

 

There will be times that we feel these ‘Bumper Packs’ justify a small price increase. When you see what we have planned we believe you’ll agree. The recent issue of BRM + DVD + 3D magazine + 3D glasses is a package that we feel justifies a higher cover price.

 

Subscribers get different benefits. Most subscribers started their subscription with a substantial free gift (usually with an RRP of £40+) or an incredibly low year 1 price offer. Their Direct Debit is then at a much lower rate than should they buy the magazine from shops. Most subscribers are paying approx. £3 per copy, benefit from free delivery to their door and money-off our show tickets. The benefits of subscribing are different to the benefits from buying at a shop. What suits one person may not suit another…

 

Digital Editions are different still. The RRP is lower and they benefit from a load of extra video, content and occasionally free magazines.

 

I hope this goes someway to explaining.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I don't know what this means.

It means that every time prices of any product someone mentions that how if they go above a certain level, someone always comments that will be the end of the product. "Evergreen" - ie its always happening. "Cf" - compare to other examples. See discussions on other threads on the pricing of models for examples.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

You didn't mention the housekeepng staff. .. or the valet . .who else dresses Andy 

 

To be fair, if I'd paid for somebody to dress me and I ended up looking like that I'd want my money back:-))

 

I don't know if the correlation works but I suspect its pretty close between the cost of one to two pints and that of a magazine - depending of course where you buy your beer. Breaking through the £5 barrier will have a psychological impact on some and I suspect the publishers will have resisted for as long as possible but I still think its pretty good value. 

 

Jerry 

Link to post
Share on other sites

To be fair, if I'd paid for somebody to dress me and I ended up looking like that I'd want my money back:-))

 

 

It's all gone to pot after I had to let my personal trainer go when we tried to keep the mag under £3.99.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I agree that while 75p is not in itself a large sum, the greater impact is breaking the £5 barrier, particularly as none of the other three main railway modelling magazines has done that (yet) - It will be interesting to see how things develop.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...