Good merchandising means better sales.

We’re happy to share a number of best practices for merchandising magazines and books that we’ve gained through our success in this business. Here, you’ll find instructions, details, and successful examples you can put to use in your own retail space. 

Smart checkout stocking.

Fill the checkout titles according to the labels on the racks. Pull all copies of the old issue and replace them with the new issue. If a pocket is labeled for more than one title, place one or the other in that pocket and stagger them by checkout.

 

Keep in mind which checkout lanes are being used more frequently and put as many copies as possible into those lanes.

 

When you have all of the new issues in their appropriate pockets, review all lanes and ensure that you have something in every pocket. Move copies from lanes that are not usually open to lanes that are usually open.

 

How do I get enough copies of a title to cover my checkout pockets?  

Move copies from the closed or slower checkout lanes to the lanes that are open. Our distribution system will automatically increase the draws on the next issues if the sales are strong. If you do not have enough copies to move around, you can use the Temporary Checkout Helper to substitute titles from the same publisher while you wait for the next issue.

If you do not see the increase over subsequent issues call or email your Gopher News Company contact, or see our form under Contact Us. We’ll need to know what title and how many checkout pockets there are.

 

Mainline magazine management.

Keep the magazines grouped by subject category or target audience. Every category should be represented on the front shelf and within reach of the potential buyer.

 

Put the newest product in the front shelves and move the older product back so your customers will be sure to see the newest titles, and you’ll know which titles have been in store the longest.

 

Mainline book management.

Most of the sales on a paperback bookrack come from the books on the bestseller list. These books should be set in the most visible area of the department and you should have multiple facings if space allows. As you receive the new month’s bestsellers, move any remaining copies of the previous bestsellers below or beside the new titles.

 

Organize the paperback new releases by category. In general terms the new releases can be divided into two categories: Romance and Thriller. Organize the children’s bookrack by type of book, i.e. color books, board books, young readers.

 

Put the newest books at eye-level and move all the other books down the rack or deeper into the rack. This way the oldest books are at the bottom or back of the rack and your customers are sure to see the newest titles.

 

For more suggestions, see our FAQ page.