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Welcome to the home page for the Association of News Retailing (ANR). ANR is at the heart of industry talks seeking a fairer deal for news retailers, who have seen their margin decline and their carriage charges increase over recent years. ANR also carry out best practice work to drive standards in news and magazine retailing.
ANR was set up in 2001 to fight for retailers in the news industry, with the aim to see real change in the news industry, and real choice for retailers to allow them to take control of the category. These aims hold true today.
Write a letter to your MP, calling on them to support EDM 2246 which urges the OFT to review the anti-competitive and damaging practices in the news and magazine supply chain.
You can download a pro forma letter here: 
ANR MEMBER PRO FORMA LETTER
The EDM reads: “That this House supports the call of the Association of News Retailers for the Office of Fair Trading (OFT)to undertake a full investigation into the supply of news and magazines to retailers; believes there is clear evidence that the OFT criteria for a market review, which include consumer harm, restricted and distorted competition between wholesalers due to absolute territorial protection and a high degree of publisher control over the industry have been met; and urges the OFT to recommend a full market review and for the issue to be debated in Parliament at the next available opportunity.”
ANR Calls on MPs to Support OFT Review of Newspaper and Magazine Supply
ANR has called on MPs to sign an Early Day Motion (EDM) urging the OFT to review the anti competitive and damaging practices in the news and magazine supply chain. EDM 2246 has been tabled by Liberal Democrat MP for Torbay, Adrian Sanders.
The EDM supports ANR’s recent submission to the OFT outlining evidence of the continued abuse of retailers and of consumer detriment caused by the current news and magazine supply chain system, including:
• Retailers receiving only 60% of on-promotion magazines they ordered.
• Wholesalers significantly increasing their own profits on the back of carriage charge increases far above the rate of increasing haulage costs.
• Prices of other products being increased to subsidise the declining profitability of newspapers and magazines.
• Newspaper and magazine availability being worryingly low – between 68% and 76%.
James Lowman, ACS Chief Executive, speaking on behalf of ANR said: “We have provided clear evidence to the OFT of the abusive practices within the supply chain that need to be addressed. The OFT cannot ignore that no significant changes in wholesaler competition and services have occurred in the last two years.”
“ANR is calling on MPs to support ANR’s evidence and urge the OFT to take a more in-depth review of the supply chain, which the OFT failed to do in 2009.”
Retailers can write to their MP asking them to support EDM 2246 using a pro forma letter on the ANR website. EDM 2246 states:
“That this House supports the call of the Association of News Retailers for the Office of Fair Trading (OFT)to undertake a full investigation into the supply of news and magazines to retailers; believes there is clear evidence that the OFT criteria for a market review, which include consumer harm, restricted and distorted competition between wholesalers due to absolute territorial protection and a high degree of publisher control over the industry have been met; and urges the OFT to recommend a full market review and for the issue to be debated in Parliament at the next available opportunity.”
OFT Must Act After Latest Terms Cut
ANR has criticised The Sunday Post, the latest title to cut retailer terms at the same time as increasing its cover price from £1.10 to £1.20. ANR has written to the OFT calling on them to include this latest change in their on-going consideration of whether to allow a much need market investigation into the news and magazines sector.
Speaking on behalf of ANR, ACS Public Affairs Director Shane Brennan said: “What the Sunday Post are at pains to hide, in their ambiguous announcement, is the reduction in retailer terms. Retailer margins have been cut from 24% to 23% and the 1.2 pence increase in cash terms is 50% less than the 2.4 pence increase that retailers should have received.
“The Sunday Post is at pains to point out that this is a 4.55% increase in cash terms, but it should have been 9.09%. At a time when the latest inflation figures (September 2011) are breaking all records - RPI at 5.6%, is the highest it has ever been, and CPI at 5.2% has never been higher - the cash margin increase is no such thing – it does not even keep pace with inflation and is in real terms an income reduction.
“This latest example of summary changes in terms is something that retailers have no choice but to accept. So long as publishers have the luxury of exclusive distribution agreements and no effective regulation they have no incentive to make the market better for retailers and consumers. This is why the OFT has to act.”