IT'S CHAOS ON THE SHELVES

Author Andrew Hicks kindly shared his experiences in a recent comment to one of my posts.
Andrew wrote: "It strikes me that magazine racks in Bangkok are often sheer chaos. I usually buy Bangkok Big Chilli (magazine) when I'm in town and it can be difficult to find. A few days ago there was only one copy left which surprised me. Then I noticed a huge pile of magazines under a table and there they were. Loads of current magazines not getting sold. It must be heartbreaking for the publishers."
Thanks for your comments Andrew, and yes - it's heartbreaking for publishers when you know darn well that many of the copies that are returned as unsold never come close to a shelf.
There are many problems as I see things. Firstly there are too many magazines competing for too little shelf space. The picture I took earlier this year illustrates this point perfectly. Shop staff tend not to be too professional either when it comes to displays. When was the last time you saw decent point-of-sale for a Thai magazine?
Every weekend I trawl at least half a dozen shops to make sure my own magazine is being displayed well, and in most shops it's hidden behind others. When I've quietly finished it's my magazine that's in front and hiding others ! But my half a dozen shops is just a small percentage of the shops in Bangkok.
Publishers around the world know that covers sell, but when you cannot see the cover then you cannot sell the magazine. That's a problem for all magazines in Thailand.