Retailers - What Can One Issue hurt?

By Mike Pellerito

If there was only some way to boost sales just a little bit? Hmm, if only there was some way to tap into the lucrative, profitable and rapidly growing kids, tweens and teens market? Too bad we only sell comics.

Really think about it stuff for All Ages, books movies, TV shows, toys and so many more things are targeting the age group that most comic companies and most comic stores ignore.

Not every one but there are some real dorks out there. Here are a couple of personal examples. The mother of a Sonic the Hedgehog fan called up Archie Comics, and wanted to confirm if what a comic store clerk told her was true. Apparently, Archie had stopped publishing the comic and the new Sonic comic Sonic X. Not only is it not true Sonic the Hedgehog is the second longest running licensed comic in the modern era. It just beat out GI Joe’s run at Marvel and if the sales continue to grow will eventually beat Conan’s Marvel run, too. The sales of Sonic are so strong that Archie released a second Sonic comic Sonic X based on the cartoon. Think about this for a minute, Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Archie and now Sonic are the only single character title to support multiple titles. How do I know? I’m the editor on both Sonic comics. And guess what, now that comic store clerk knows who I am too.

Of course we made sure to see if there was a problem with the Distributors, but no. He was tired of dealing with the lady coming in every week and bothering him for the newest Sonic comics. His words. Oh, and by the way that nice mother was connected to our subscription department and has subs to Sonic, Sonic X, Sabrina and Jughead.

Every time a chance comes up to visit a new comic store the plan is to find out how the Archie stuff does. Now, this boggles the mind since through college ordering comics was a duty of mine at the shop I worked. Mind you that store sold more than comics, but it made over a million a year in sales. If a store orders 5 copies of Sonic and they all sell out they never up the order to 6 copies just to see if it sells. Why not? If a super hero book sells out you always order more. Or if the company doesn’t have an over-print policy retailers order more than needed just in case.

Now of course it is a chance, a financial risk to order extra especially if it isn’t returnable. But maybe you have 10 readers out there and you miss 5 of them when you order only 5. You could be doubling your sales. You may order 5 and could be selling 6 copies maybe 7. Granted one copy is not much profit for a comic store. But who buys one copy? You retailers are smart you know how to point a reader in the right direction and maybe that reader buys 2 comics and a trade. Maybe that reader comes back every month, maybe every week. Just for have in stock what the readers are looking for.

So, in order to help ease the burden of the fear of back issues of kids’ comics here is a trick we used very successfully in that mill plus a year comic store. Contact every school within in a drivable distance, talk to the principal, and see if they would be interested in carrying a comic pack (5-10 comics in a magazine back perfect for young readers) as gift ideas around the holidays. Maybe the school has English as a second language program and never realized the teaching tool comics can be. Then do the same thing with every summer camp. Maybe see if those schools can send something out to parents about comics for campers before they let out for summer. You can even offer to make up the flyers. Hey bus rides, car trips, plane trips, overnight camp, rainy days, kids need something to do. And you the super genius retailer you are probably thinking of making up coupons to stuff in these bags to get those students, and camp kids to come into your store and maybe bring their siblings or parents into to the store and suggest a good trade to read, of course at that nice discount you put on the coupon the sale is easy. Why not you’re a brilliant comic retailer. The Sonic editor at Archie just called you to thank you for all the new readers you have been creating especially since you realized you probably have a lot more than 5 copies a month to sell.

This might be a little naive, but what do you have to lose? Most stores who have tried it did well. It goes for the stores who have all the All Ages stuff up in the front of the store all in one section easy to access.

Not saying this is easy but we used to get the kids who came into the store to make up the comic packs, and of course they got as many packs as they wanted and we got to do the important stuff. Like reading the new comics.

Thanks to all the people who have written in about this column. Always love to hear if anything in the column makes sense. If any retailers out there have any opinions or helpful hints it would be great to hear them. You know where to find me. See ya’ next Tuesday.