Angling magazines

I am wondering when we will see a reduction in the price of angling magazines. Even Irish Angler
which I buy monthly is €4.95 in the shops here but £3 in UK. Great mag but I think that there has to be some fair play here. The same applies to all mags.

At the moment £3=€3.20. I think that this is ridiculous.

I have argued this point before with newsagents and the answer that i got is this was the recommended retail selling price as suggested by Leasons who import all (i think) magazines into the country. i was told that the price difference wasn't just the difference in £/€ but the shipping costs and the difference in vat as far as i know all the fishing magazines that we get here are printed in england

don't like the answer that i got but that's the one i got.

seems very strange when i can buy 2 identical cars in Ireland and england but if i buy it in the north at the mo i can save up to 20k

Ok well seeing as I'm a newsagent I can answer this one. And like with all my customers I will have to make excuses for the wholesalers. There are two distributors in Ireland. Newspread owned by the Indo and EM News formally Eason's.

They purchase sterling four times a year so what is known as the ready reckoner will change each time. This will include the Euro amount plus the exchange rate. Now I have seen magazine recommended prices fall over the last few months. And to be fair the ready reckoner has been dropping.

These distributors charge newsagents a service charge every week. This is a fancy word for delivery charge. What you pay is based on what your invoice is. Not what you sell but what your charged. And the wholesalers can send you what they want. This has been a bone of contention for years with them. To use the fishing as an example if I ordered Total Sea Fishing for one customer within a couple of months I'd be getting 5 of them. And the wholesaler would then start sending me 5 Sea Angler and then Anglers Mail which is all course fishing!

This is why some newsagents wont take orders any more. Most newsagents are in the higher bracket for delivery charges and can not control the invoices because the wholesaler can send what they like. Some shops spread this cost on the cover prices of the magazines as they can't on newspapers. My delivery charges amount to over €70 a week between the two. I need to sell over €300 worth of papers and mags just to break even!

And you can have the same title from both wholesalers at different prices because their ready reckoner's are based on sterling bought at different times of the year. It causes problems for me when my customers see two mags that are both £2.99 in the UK and have different €uro prices.

As for the Irish Angler magazine that is Distributed through solely through Newspread. I'd say the price difference is simply down to the fact that it was arranged when the sterling was stronger and they would have a very small distribution up North and in the UK. Most Irish titles would have a lower sterling price for this reason.

I'm glad to say however I'm about to finish up here. My neighbour who has a supermarket has made me an offer and seeing as things are they way the are and I'm about to become a dad again I've accepted it. I hope to be all sorted for the start of February.

Hope this answered the question?

Thats it covered, the joys of newsagencies. Does your neighbour perhaps want to make an offer on a c store in cork by bny chance

As it happens my Sea Angler came in this morning. They sent me 3 copies!

Invoice states Retail (suggested) price €5.27. I do not add to the cost of my mags so this is the price it should be in the shops.

Petekd I doubt it!

We are being ripped off. Just see that Nissan have dropped the price of a new X-Trail by €7000. They must have been making some profit up until now.

Prices for angling gear can be much cheaper in UK also.

Eddie Hobs where are you!!!!!!!!!

Prices for angling gear can be much cheaper in UK also.

Huge difference in VAT rates between UK and Ireland, weak sterling, bigger customer base..... All these are contributing factors to differences in tackle prices. Bigger outlets in the UK can deal direct with manufacturers, small outlets over here have to use 3rd parties, its someone else in the chain that has to make a few bob and it all adds up.

No to mention insurance, rent, rates, wages and utilities are all much more expensive over here. I'd rather go to my local tackle shop ask advice about what I want to buy and get some help or tips. None of this is charged for in the price. Plus I know where I can get bait if I need to at the last minute. It would be sad to see less tackle shops because of online sales. Ok I can see the advantage of buying stuff you know you need or want cheaper online but ever been stuck for a few hooks or line? No use ordering them a week before you need them.

At the end of the day everything here is more expensive but I'd still not be without my loal tackle shop.

I am wondering when we will see a reduction in the price of angling magazines. Even Irish Angler
which I buy monthly is €4.95 in the shops here but £3 in UK. Great mag but I think that there has to be some fair play here. The same applies to all mags.

At the moment £3=€3.20. I think that this is ridiculous.

agree all magazines seem to be increasing in price every few months, i buy irish angler, sea angler and improve your coarse fishing, i can remember improve your coarse fishing being £2.50 now it is £3.10 or £3.20

These distributors charge newsagents a service charge every week. This is a fancy word for delivery charge. What you pay is based on what your invoice is. Not what you sell but what your charged. And the wholesalers can send you what they want. This has been a bone of contention for years with them. To use the fishing as an example if I ordered Total Sea Fishing for one customer within a couple of months I'd be getting 5 of them. And the wholesaler would then start sending me 5 Sea Angler and then Anglers Mail which is all course fishing!

If this is the case with your distributors , I would change distributors mate!!
This is an illegal practice.

Prices for angling gear can be much cheaper in UK also.

Huge difference in VAT rates between UK and Ireland, weak sterling, bigger customer base..... All these are contributing factors to differences in tackle prices. Bigger outlets in the UK can deal direct with manufacturers, small outlets over here have to use 3rd parties, its someone else in the chain that has to make a few bob and it all adds up.

Pete,

sorry but have to disagree with you a bit here now There shouldn't be "huge" differences in prices between here and uk. Problem is a lot of Irish guys bought in euro when they should have bought in sterling (their fault), some irish tackle dealers don't attend trade shows and don't negotiate enough. There was a post lately on this site where a guy (Century Man I think) was quoted very high prices for a multiplier that was much less in UK. I pm'd him an Irish dealer who was sellin it for a much closer figure to the UK prices.

People here are talkin about a bigger customer base - yeah England and most of Ireland because the prices here are so steep in a lot of shops. Bigger population someone will say - more tackle dealers and more competition then but nobody is mentioning this. Tackle shops over here have had it too soft for too long but the web has ended that.

Now, before some dealers etc have a go at me, I accept that the prices here will be higher for some of the reasons you have said but there shouldn't be a "huge" variation. Thats the thing annoyin so many purchasers at the moment. I buy off Irish tackle dealers even where the item can be bought a little cheaper in the uk or the usa. Thats my preference, but I aint paying way over the odds when I shouldnt have to. A simple example - abu tormentor plug - have seen in several shops lately for around 12euro and can buy it here in the mornin in another store for 5euro.

Rant over

my mate jason works in a hardware shop that stocks fishing tackle,because they use a hardware markup of about 33% there gear is a lot cheaper than fishing shops. Most of the anglers have discovered this and the fishing section has grown and grown,and they do the trade fairs and negoitate a good rate,they are now going to stock baits! the shop is Heaneys Hardware claremorris co Mayo.

If this is the case with your distributors , I would change distributors mate!!
This is an illegal practice.

I'm afraid not as it is written into the terms and conditions of supply. If you want news you have to accept these terms. The wholesaler blames the publisher, however the wholesaler gets paid to delivery regardless of sales. Changing distributors is not an option. There are only two and they have different contracts for distribution. i.e. I can only get Irish Angler from Newspread so if a customer wants it I have no choice. I have submitted complaints to the competition authority many times but unfortunately have not won a case against them. I'm a member of of trade organisation and this has been a long standing battle going back generations of retailers.

but there shouldn't be a "huge" variation

No there should not be huge variation in prices but I know from doing business in this country that it has become increasingly difficult to keep the price low and maintain some margin. Now I'm the first to moan about a rip off situation. I would never even try and attempt to defend blatant robbery. Unfortunately it exists in all business today. Sure if you can get better value go with it, I know I would. I was only saying that there are other services from tackle shops that I would not like to see disappear. I bought an Abu reel a few months ago and paid about the same as it was in the UK. Now it is appearing in adverts in mags at a much lower price. So timing and exchange rate must play a part in the price structure.

All in all I think we will all be a little more price concious this year!

This is infact the reason for the recession in this country.

The only thing that will kill a recession is people spending money.

But people are not spending money in this country, because we are no longer competitive. I'm afraid we are going to remain in a recession until VAT is lowered and shops stop taking the large markup they have been used to in the past.

This year we are also going to suffer greatly from the loss of tourism from England/Northern Ireland. Come to Ireland where you can spend twice the money ,for the same items!!!

Just to reply there to Shoreking,

Pete,

sorry but have to disagree with you a bit here now There shouldn't be "huge" differences in prices between here and uk. Problem is a lot of Irish guys bought in euro when they should have bought in sterling (their fault), some irish tackle dealers don't attend trade shows and don't negotiate enough. There was a post lately on this site where a guy (Century Man I think) was quoted very high prices for a multiplier that was much less in UK. I pm'd him an Irish dealer who was selling it for a much closer figure to the UK prices.

I'd love it if all tackle shops over here could offer stuff at what the general public considers to be a reasonable mark up, however I am a retailer, albeit not in the tackle trade but a lot of what I say transfers and I do make significant purchases from time to time in the UK. Take the following into consideration.

Firstly, take 2 similar sized tackle shops with similar expenditure on costs, Rent, Rates, Insurance bla bla bla. Shop A located in the UK in an area with a higher customer base and does double the turnover of shop B located in Ireland. Shop B has to apply double the margin to achieve the same net profit as shop A. Thats plain and simple maths.

Secondly, have you seen the cost of delivering large quantities of goods to this Ireland as opposed to having them sent within England? On an order of greeting cards recently, I had to pay the guts of €80 on an order only costing €145. Shipment within the UK would have cost less than a quarter of that, dont get me wrong, it was still worthwhile but that extra cost has to be factored in and applied.

Thirdly, Costs. We have one of the highest minimum wage rates in Europe, Utilities, Insurance, Rates, Rents etc are soaring.

VAT, Our VAT is way over and above what is paid across the water. Bear in mind that VAT is added after you have added your margin onto a net cost price so if someone has to charge that bit extra to cover reasons outlined in posts above, the difference in VAT rates can make a significant difference overall.

If someone is relying solely on selling tackle to make a living, then the margin applied to that, in this country at least, must be significant. Tackle shops are not supermarkets turning 100s of thousands a week. When they sell something, there has to be a significant gain. That said, there are certain tackle shops out there that you feel absolutely fla things but you have to look at the service provided, shops and shop fittings do not come cheap.

Its all well and good looking at the exchange rates being quoted at the moment but that has not always been the case. Its worth bearing in mind too that if a retailer has to purchase a sterling draft say to pay some UK suppliers or whatever, he is going to have to pay the price in the bank, not what you see quoted on TV and there could be an easy 3-4% differential there.

All these little things add up lads and that, is why Irish tackle shops cannot for the most part match their Mail Order UK rivals. I know this started as a discussion on magazines and sorry for going OT but I feel its only fair to set the record straight.

Just to add to what pete said, a tackle shop would not have massive footfall and has to carry huge amounts is expensive stock. I'd imagine thatthe selflife of that stock maybe months or a year.

This would also prevent a guy selling at a lower price

Personally, I lay the blame for high prices solely with the Government.

VAT, transport, utilities, an post, ....list goes on.....and soon to be extra tax.They are increasing prices all the time, these price increases are quite rightly passed onto the consumer.

They are crippling this country and will continue to do so until the Irish people change their sheepish mentallity and just not take it anymore.

Just to reply to Petekd,

I'm not sure if yer quite gettin my point entirely. OK so lets take it for now that the average Irish tackle sretailer cant match the UK mail order guy. By the way, in spite of what you said I'm still not totally convinced about there bein such big differences in the prices! Surely the Irish tackle retailer should still be able to at least compete with the Irish competitors then. When you see a lad postin that he rang around and he gets prices on a multi rangin from 160euro to 190euro (I think thats wot he said - roughly anyway) and then I can see the same one for say 130euro in Ireland you have to ask questions. Theres a variation of somethin like 60euro between the highest and lowest prices for the same reel in the same country As I say. I'm not convinced.

sk

Just to reply to Petekd,

I'm not sure if yer quite gettin my point entirely. OK so lets take it for now that the average Irish tackle sretailer cant match the UK mail order guy. By the way, in spite of what you said I'm still not totally convinced about there bein such big differences in the prices! Surely the Irish tackle retailer should still be able to at least compete with the Irish competitors then. When you see a lad postin that he rang around and he gets prices on a multi rangin from 160euro to 190euro (I think thats wot he said - roughly anyway) and then I can see the same one for say 130euro in Ireland you have to ask questions. Theres a variation of somethin like 60euro between the highest and lowest prices for the same reel in the same country As I say. I'm not convinced.

sk

it all boils down to location of the shop
how much rent,rates, are these shops paying, were are the dif shops?
i also work a little in retail (1 day a week) , but i pay quiet a vast amount on rent, water rates, council rates, esb, wages should i go on,, these all factor into the mark up, and until the goverment sort out these ridiculas prices, this country will suffer quiet badly, to be competative

Just posting from a UK perspective, tackle shops here are closing, fast! Probably due to competition from Internet sellers. I live near to Cambridge population 120,000 as near as damn it. We have 2 tackle shops, from my point of view they aren't a lot of cop!
One, I went to school with the owner, won't give you the drippings off his nose. The other one will knock the odd few pence off if you are lucky. This is after supporting them for many years. How they stay open, I've no idea?
There's another shop in Peterborough about 30 miles away who competes with the internet and there's days when you can't get in the shop.
Over here rents and rates are far higher than in Ireland, perhaps Dublin and Cork might be a bit closer to the UK. I used to run a tyre shop in the city and my rates were £8000 plus rent of £15000 and that was back in 1999 and not close to any shopping centres.
However I've found tackle prices in Ireland are much higher but I'm basing that on comparing prices seen in Westport only [probably not a fair comparison??] VAT is cheaper here.
Compared to the USA we in the UK are being ripped off, so I'm sure you lads are as well.
Luckily I don't make any big purchases these days [got it all] if I do have to, I'll be getting it from Peterborough if I can [price reasonable] or Jackson Lures in the states.
Just as an example of price differences I bought a world globe for my son at Christmas cost here £98.99, cost with carriage from the states, £59!! I grudgingly bought it here just incase there was a problem with transportation damage.
If anyone wants good Pike Tackle I can recommend eddieturner.co.uk He doesn't do reels though, but very good rods [Harrison blanks] and some superb 4 piece spinning rods for around £40.

Colin
How's my old boat Pete??