Model Rail standalones as a freebie

[durham light infantry]

For the 2nd time in recent months I have purchased Model Rail only to find it packaged with a freebie, which some time earlier was for sale as a standalone which I purchased in good faith. I am understandably a bit miffed about paying out for product (twice) only for it to appear free of charge later.

 

Is this going to be a common practice Model Rail?

 

Disgruntled of Spennymoor

[Phil Parker]

Give us a clue. What was the freebie? And where did you buy the magazine from?

[Steamport Southport]

Usually it's the retailers repackaging them. Usually just old stocks they can't get rid of. Surely better than sending them for recycling?

 

I've found those Key and Kelsey bookazines packaged with regular magazines before today.

 

Something like Steam Railway or Steam Days, and an issue of BR Diesel Depots! 

 

 

 

Jason

[durham light infantry]

 

These. Originals purchased from WH Smiths, freebies bagged with Model Rail in Morrisons.

[Phil Parker]

It's possible that the supermarket has insisted on a certain number of promotions a year, hence the freebie. If that is the case (and only the publisher will know) then it's do what you are told or be removed from the shelves.

 

Also worth checking how much you paid, these aren't always free, sometime you get a bundle deal that is cheaper than buying 2 publications separately, classic car mags often do that.

[durham light infantry]

15 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

Also worth checking how much you paid, these aren't always free, sometime you get a bundle deal that is cheaper than buying 2 publications separately, classic car mags often do that.

 

That makes it worse. Paying over the odds for a magazine, which includes something you have already bought and paid for.

[AY Mod]

6 minutes ago, durham light infantry said:

 

That makes it worse. Paying over the odds for a magazine, which includes something you have already bought and paid for.

 

The retailer (and publisher) don't know that you, specifally, have already bought it Mike. The publisher or retailer are trying to incentivise a purchase. The high street has had it hard so you can't blame them for trying.

 

The sting though is the scenario Phil describes when Big Shop leans on you to do  something so that they get more sales whilst the publisher gets more cost. The consumer isn't the one disadvantaged.

[The White Rabbit]

Something many readers may not be aware of is just how hard publishers have to work to get their magazines on the shelves of supermarkets and major retailers. The local model shop just rings up and says can we have a few copies of title X starting from next month please. Supermarkets and chains sell rather more, so they have a lot of bargaining power with the publishers and can impose all sorts of conditions. It's often a case of here's our deal, take it or leave it. 

[Legend]

I occasionally buy Modern Railways , but this month at Tesco’s (where I’m going for my essential shop) it’s packaged with a locomotive liveries magazine , that I’ve previously seen for sale  separately . The two of them together are £5.99 but I think that’s £1 more than the ordinary magazine, which is not available by itself.  That’s a pain . Also they are both bagged together do you can’t look to see if worth it . There were a lot on the shelf. I do wonder if folk just don’t bother . Not sure this is a great marketing idea . As a result I bought Airliner World for my read this week. 

[Phil Parker]

1 hour ago, Legend said:

There were a lot on the shelf. I do wonder if folk just don’t bother . Not sure this is a great marketing idea

 

On the basis it keeps happening, I'd suggest that it works. To be fair, if you don't have either magazine, then you may well feel it's a bargain.

 

2 hours ago, durham light infantry said:

That makes it worse. Paying over the odds for a magazine, which includes something you have already bought and paid for.

 

The price will be clearly marked - the decision to buy or not, is yours.

[john new]

It is also annoying from another perspective  - if you have a newsagent delivered copy to support your local shop and then you don’t get the same version. 

 

Update - just to be clear I would have happily paid the extra for the Morrison's pack it is the lack that triggered my post not the extra £. 

 

Edited February 21, 2021 by john new
Added an update for clarity

[durham light infantry]

4 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

The price will be clearly marked - the decision to buy or not, is yours.

 

1/3rd of the way into a busy weekly shop it goes into the trolley, along with my wife's weekly reads and the radio times and weekend papers.

It was a loyalty buy, not any more.

[Andrew1974]

It’s not a lot different to buying something at full price to find it goes on sale the next day.

 

Yes, maybe mildly annoying, but I’m going to get disgruntled about it.

 

And from a publishers perspective it does indeed help sell more mags (at least it did when I used to work in publishing some years ago).

[durham light infantry]

34 minutes ago, Andrew1974 said:

And from a publishers perspective it does indeed help sell more mags (at least it did when I used to work in publishing some years ago).

 

I used to buy the mag every month as a loyalty purchase, that perspective has failed with me. A lost customer...

[Huw Griffiths]

6 hours ago, The White Rabbit said:

Something many readers may not be aware of is just how hard publishers have to work to get their magazines on the shelves of supermarkets and major retailers. The local model shop just rings up and says can we have a few copies of title X starting from next month please. Supermarkets and chains sell rather more, so they have a lot of bargaining power with the publishers and can impose all sorts of conditions. It's often a case of here's our deal, take it or leave it. 

 

I can't prove anything, but I strongly suspect that similar observations might also apply to books etc, with one well known newsagent / bookshop chain.

 

For example, how do they decide exactly which books to put on "buy this one cheap - buy this one at the same time even cheaper" or "book of the week" / "book club" style promotions - or what happens if a publisher decides that they'd prefer their books not to feature in them?

 

Over the years, I've known a number of people who've worked for publishers of varying sizes - the general impression has been one of distinctly one-sided "relationships" and contracts, with publishers (of both books and magazines) and probably suppliers in general.

 

If these arrangements actually work for any suppliers, the impression seems to be very much that they're rather more likely to work for large suppliers than for small.

 

In particular, the impression I've gleaned suggests that smaller suppliers appear to have very limited (if any) bargaining power with certain retailers - sometimes to the extent that certain suppliers appear to have reached the conclusion that they're probably better off not doing business with certain outfits.

 

 

Huw.

 

 

 

Edited February 21, 2021 by Huw Griffiths

[kevinlms]

Won't see that down under. We don't get any of the freebies with Model Rail, but we do with Railway Modeller, such as the kits.

[mezzoman253]

During various lockdowns I've missed getting a railway mag' from the shops, as we are getting home deliveries. Although I can get umpteen womens mag's, puzzle books and kids mag's, there are virtually no mens magazines, and no railway mag's available for home delivery.

 

Railway modelling is one of the biggest pastimes, second to angling(Angling Times is available), so this does seem a missed oppotunity for the retailers

 

Before posting today I checked again and was pleased to see Hornby Magazine available through Tesco(our home delivery) for the 1st time. However the price is £6.99, not the cover price of £4.99. Maybe this is an error. See screengrab.

 

Rob

[Oldddudders]

I cannot believe people are crying in their tea about two or three quid. We really do have different values in life. 

[Steamport Southport]

33 minutes ago, mezzoman253 said:

During various lockdowns I've missed getting a railway mag' from the shops, as we are getting home deliveries. Although I can get umpteen womens mag's, puzzle books and kids mag's, there are virtually no mens magazines, and no railway mag's available for home delivery.

 

Railway modelling is one of the biggest pastimes, second to angling(Angling Times is available), so this does seem a missed oppotunity for the retailers

 

Before posting today I checked again and was pleased to see Hornby Magazine available through Tesco(our home delivery) for the 1st time. However the price is £6.99, not the cover price of £4.99. Maybe this is an error. See screengrab.

 

Rob

 

You can get it from the publishers with free postage. I think they all do so apart from MRJ which is a small independent publication.

 

As an example here's the link for BRM.

 

https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk/Store/Latest-Issue/british-railway-modelling

 

 

Jason

Edited February 21, 2021 by Steamport Southport

[mezzoman253]

Hi,

 

Yes, I realise that, in fact I've bought a few back issues to read over the last few months.

 

My point was the supermarkets seem to have prioritised women's mag's for home delivery , with very few men's ones available. It's not as if the mag's don't exist as they stock them in store.

 

Seeing the £6.99 price tag I thought the cover price had increased, which would have been rather a steep one. So just pointing out a possible error.

 

Rob

 

 

 

 

[dibber25]

These 'package deals' are grocery promotions. If you buy from a newsagent, the magazine is on its own, for the usual cover price of £4.70. Grocery promotions are designed to attract potential new buyers who don't have any prior knowledge and don't usually go into a newsagents. Magazines need to find new buyers all the time in the hope that some will become subscribers. Magazines are suffering a torrid time at the moment as the lack of high street shoppers has hit news trade sales hard across the board. I'm sorry if you feel that you have been hard done by. Send me a PM with your name and address and I will personally re-imburse you the £1.20 price difference. (CJL)

PS I apologise to Andy for discussing a Model Rail matter on this forum - hope I haven't overstepped the mark.

 

Edited February 21, 2021 by dibber25

[Phil Parker]

17 minutes ago, dibber25 said:

PS I apologise to Andy for discussing a Model Rail matter on this forum - hope I haven't overstepped the mark.

 

Absolutely no appology necessary. Most people think selling magazines is just a case of delivering them to newsagents but behind the scenes, it's a lot more complicated than this. You have more experience in this than both @AY Mod and myself and your input is very welcome. 

[Phil Parker]

11 hours ago, durham light infantry said:

 

I used to buy the mag every month as a loyalty purchase, that perspective has failed with me. A lost customer...

 

Essentially, you have chosen to punish those working for the magazine for the actions of a supermarket  

[Jonboy]

Nah if you want frustrating tactics and games there was a photography bookazine I looked at in WH Smith’s for £18 yesterday, then looked three titles to the left to find if I bought a related magazine for £6 then I could download said bookazine as a free ebook....

 

Personally I like the bundled titles and if it’s a title I have previously bought I share it with my brother.

[Bonafide]

2 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

I cannot believe people are crying in their tea about two or three quid. 

I believe people are concerned less with the monetary value than they are with the general principle of being charged more which is perceived as sharp practice.