WH smith...how cheep!

[Loki *Uk*]

EX WHSmith staff here

OKAY, now where to start,

It is easy to flame a company for not stocking a magazine you want to have, does anyone here know how many weekly/bi-weekly (That aint gay BTW)/ monthly/quarterly magazines are in production? I think when I worked there Smiths warehouse stocked something like 64000.

When I worked in WHSMiths I was in Darlington, the cornmill centre which when you consider is within 2 miles of the JUST shop and during this time worked as the News manager I was never asked for a paintball magazine (plenty asking for Tattoo mags).

To get a magazine into WHSmith is upto the promoter of the magazine (this may have changed haven't been in the News trade for nearly 5 years), we had promoters arriving for BBC magazines etc etc and they would set up standees etc to promote their magazines (yes I believe it cost). If we want paintball magazines in mainstream shops ask for a folder, if there is enough folders then the News manager would be an idiot to not stock on shelf. The £5 deposit is to stop time wasters cos I have seen me write of Thousands of pounds in a week due to people (just like us) who did not collect magazines they had ordered.

BTW 10 copies of PGI/PBUK/Faceful is nothing compared to 150 of FHM or Woman or any mainstream mag. Also bare in Mind the average profit margin for a newspaper/ \magazine is 28% which aint a lot for a retail outlet, lot compared to 45% for CD's and a nice 60% for multimedia. (all figures are approximate).

WHSmith does own some of Menzies HOWEVER they do not own any of the news wholesale side of Menzies.

Hope this clarifies some stuff, and don't shout at me as I am just letting you know it from a retail/news outlet point of view.

Have fun guys.

 

[snowythehobo]

Originally posted by rancid
Listen geezers, don't fk Smiths off. Do you know how much trouble we have with them cos they think paintball is para-miltary. They've threatened to drop it before cos it might insight insurrection.

There's one simple solution: go to your local branch and place an order. We'll send em ten - one to you and the other nine on the shelves.

We're building relations (ie spending a lot of money with em next year), so don't go and bugger it up for us.

para-military? lmfao thats ridiculous - i get mine no probs from local whsmith but i have to say its not next to snowboarding and skating like everyone wud expect/like but next to about 20 gun magazines; now theyre para-military not paintball!

 

[Skeet]

I have to disagree with that...target shooting, clays etc, are another of my hobbies...I wouldn't say they are paramilitary..
I think Airsoft (no dissrespect) is more Paramilitary, like Paintball USED to be years ago...but not in a major way...things like Combat and Survival and Soldier of Fortune, are military magazines with info that someone of that bent, would find useful.
Especially with the adverts for Mercenaries (sp?) wanted!!

 

[T.B.F.K.A.T.L.]

Originally posted by Skeetmaster

Especially with the adverts for Mercenaries (sp?) wanted!!

Fantastic I wondered how one finds a job in this sector and now I know. What better previous occupation to put on your CV but 'Mercenary for Don Jaun Columbian Drugs Baron'.
Guess I'll be of to smiths in the morning to bag me a copy of soldier of fortune.

 

[Mario]

WHSmiths by me keeps there's in the extreme sports section and seem to get through them quick enuff... went in two days ago, had about 10 and today were down to a few...

it's all good

 

[Andy]

the one by me used to keep it in the airgun / para military section until a mate i was with one day complained, and since then its with all the windsurfing and snowboarding magazines

 

[Skeet]

Originally posted by T.B.F.K.A.T.L.
Fantastic I wondered how one finds a job in this sector and now I know. What better previous occupation to put on your CV but 'Mercenary for Don Jaun Columbian Drugs Baron'.
Guess I'll be of to smiths in the morning to bag me a copy of soldier of fortune.

If you get a good job mate...gimme a shout...im long range on soft targets..1200m 2000m with the right bit of kit

 

[L J]

im glad the Smiths in colchester has loads, as it is a 5 min walk if not less from the editors place

 

[Gadget]

All of the WHSmiths near me (Lakeside, Bluewater, Grays) always have PGI on the shelves - usually 10+ copies too.

 

[Jasper]

Don't wouldn't worry so much about it is a graduall thing in getting less known sports mags onto newsagents shelves. When i started snowboarding 10yrs ago it was just as hard to get hold of a snowboard mag you could get ski mags but not snowboard mags, now there are loads on the shelves.

Unfortunately it takes time the likes of PGI and other paintball mags are doing there best and trying to move the process along faster and there doing a great job.

You have to stop wanting paintball to be as huge as football overnight it has took over 100yrs to get that to the stage its at, so in that case paintball is just a baby. Look at the bigger picture only a few yrs ago you would have found it hard to get hold of any paintball mag other than from the publishing house. Now some newsagents stock it and you can order it from others.
Imagine what it will be like in a couple of yrs

So for now either subscribe, order from your newsagents or if you are in an area that is aware of the sport then buy off the shelf, its all good