8/9/2023 0 Comments Best marvel monopolySo those are some of my concerns about the selection – not all of them – but it’s not as though any publisher is making their decisions based upon an individual retailer’s concerns. I also find that Lunar is lackadaisical, at best, with “backstage” elements the market depends upon – things like assigning series codes, and shipping timing, are crucial for stores to rely on, but they’re simply not working in uniform and consistent ways across the board, and these things cost retailers time and money, and create market confusion and unlevel playing fields. However, FOC date will continue to be a day earlier on Sunday night) ( Last Minute edit: just as I was about to send this column out, Image announced it has reversed this policy and their New Comics Day will remain Wednesday. We’re moving even faster now from a reasonably stable system to the Wild West where “anything goes”. Further, currently there are many reports of stores all over simply putting out new comics as they receive them (often as early as the Thursday before), and there doesn’t appear to be any enforcement mechanisms in place, let alone any significant efforts to distinguish between legitimate brick-and-mortar stores, and fans setting up wholesale accounts. I’m also deeply concerned how this further solidifies a move towards Tuesday street dates, given how much effort that stores have put into branding Wednesdays as New Comics Day. It’s a dangerous vertical monopoly for physical storefront retailers to have to underwrite. It’s bad enough that they get to make a couple of percentage points from every item I buy from them, but they’re also able to collect information about my local market which can make them even more effective competitors than they already are. I, personally, am disappointed with this move for a few reasons – the primary one being that I have no interest doing business with a “distributor” whose owners also owns what I consider to be my largest competitor ( Discount Comic Book Services as well as Half Priced Trades), whose entire business model is predicated on selling to consumers at near-wholesale pricing. Image is making Lunar their primary distributor. Well, the next big shoe has dropped in periodical comics distribution as Image Comics announced they, too, are dropping their exclusive relationship with Diamond Comics Distribution.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |