There's more to life than newspapers

55 replies

notedbiscuits · 04/09/2024 16:58

Visited a supermarket to get the tea, coffee, milk for work. Also had a lotto ticket which I got a lucky dip on it and got that done and went to the kiosk and purchased items there too. The supermarket didn't have its newspapers in. The constant whinging from customers in the few minutes was unbelievable. There is more to life than a bloody newspapers which are full of depressing stuff.

I don't have the time to read a newspaper and never read one cover to cover. Plus the format is outdated - 24 hour news channels, websites etc.

OP posts:

Original poster

notedbiscuits · 05/09/2024 19:01

PhilosophicalCheeseSandwich · 05/09/2024 08:36

Paper round scars don't heal 🥺

True. My DM has told many of her experiences too.

OP posts:

maddening · 05/09/2024 19:09

Badbadbunny · 05/09/2024 18:45

It's a quaint thought that store supervisors and managers have any influence over the number of each type of newspaper they get!

It's ALL computerised. The deliveries are controlled by the wholesalers, not the store management. It's dictated by the number of each returned at the end of the day. Then computer algorithms take over. If the returns are, say, only a handful, then that tells the computer, they got it right. If there are dozens of returns, it tells the computer they sent too many. If there are no returns, it tells the computer it sold out of that title, and to "think" about increasing the order. Trends are measured (again by computer), on day by day, week by week, etc. So the computer can decide to send more of a particular title on Tuesdays if none have been returned for the last 4 Tuesdays, but not if 3 of the last four Tuesdays had several returned.

We used to have a newsagents and it drove us insane that we had no control over the number we received of each title. Sometimes, we'd deliberately not return some issues when we knew the reason for less being sold, i.e. bad weather, car crash outside, power cut, or just lots of regular customers on holiday. We knew that if we sent too many back, our supply would get cut down and there was then the real possibility we'd not have enough for our regular deliveries and reserves!

Supermarkets are the main customers of the wholesalers these days, so there'll also be algorithms comparing sales against different stores to look at trends comparing the sales in one store against another, which likewise feeds into which stores aren't selling enough papers compared to other items they sell, number of customers, etc.

I can guarantee the poor sod on the counter isn't making copious notes as to who's been disappointed, and passing up the chain to their supervisor who isn't passing it onto the store manager, who won't be passing it on to the wholesalers!

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Well in that case they can respond that the store's systems will increase the amounts due to demand - while quaint the customers aren't expected to know the stocking arrangements of each shop - and staff should be suitably trained to deal with customer queries and issues so that customers feel heard rather than be considered to be 'whinging" - being treated with contempt is not a great customer experience.

Original poster

notedbiscuits · 05/09/2024 19:14

@Badbadbunny So why do my friends who work in shops selling newspapers get 6 copies of the Racing Post daily and return 6 daily? If wholesalers understood that the RP doesn’t sell in a shop - why send them out?

Also on Saturdays, some retailers get figures of what is being delivered on Sundays. Which is crazy as if for example, the late Queen Elizabeth II died on a Saturday, there would be those numbers delivered but would take mid afternoon to get more printed and delivered to shops

OP posts:

Ponoka7 · 05/09/2024 19:16

notedbiscuits · 04/09/2024 21:58

Those who read Daily Mail are the idiots who believed in every single word they printed and voted Brexit.

Newspapers should not be treated like its the Bible.

Some buy for the sport coverage and decent telly book. My Mum enjoyed the crosswords in the Express. Plenty of people fo have time to read newspapers. Supermarkets open and put shops out of business. If they start to give less of a service, then customers have the right to complain.

Ketzele · 05/09/2024 19:22

OP, have you bet a friend that you can start a MN thread on a topic of her choice and keep it going for 1000 posts? And she said, "Newspapers, go!"?

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