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That's another 120+ GNs added to our Sale Section, with another 300 still to come today!
https://stores.comichub.com/big_bang_comics/saleitem
Ok, little break now to talk about some observations.
https://stores.comichub.com/big_bang_comics/saleitem
Ok, little break now to talk about some observations.
As a retailer, you order charity books (i.e. when the proceeds go to charity) knowing you're going to lose money. 90% of them never sell to customers.
There are entire publishers we could just stop stocking graphic novels from. They don't sell for us even though they're respectable and well known names.
There are BIGGER publishers we could stop completely stocking except for some of the tie-ins books they do and wouldn't make a difference.
We've always operated on a "let's give the smaller guys a chance", but more than 80% of the smaller/unknown publishers we order in never sell.
Online sales tend to majorly go to well known brands/characters.
Almost 90% so for first time shoppers on our website.
Almost 90% so for first time shoppers on our website.
Creators that we sold tons of books of 5 years ago are now gathering dust on the shelves for various reasons. The market has drastically changed in a very small time.
Some big publishers out there DESPERATETLY need a new hit book. The lack of higher selling books causes a publisher-wide disinterest.
The reason why DC keeps making new Batman and Batman-centric books is because you keep buying them.
Batman is money in the bank and will continue to be for a looooong time.
Batman is money in the bank and will continue to be for a looooong time.
A lot of the new money coming in to the market is coming from non traditional comics publishers and non traditional comics reading customers.
Following from that, the vast majority of new customers looking for kids comics are looking for SUPERHERO kids' comics.
And more specifically, MARVEL AND DC kids' comics.
Superhero kids' comics that don't feature branded characters don't sell for us.
And more specifically, MARVEL AND DC kids' comics.
Superhero kids' comics that don't feature branded characters don't sell for us.
There is till almost zero overlap between manga readers and comics readers here.
Based on sales trends from the last 2 years, we could probably stock only a quarter of the GNs we normally do and we would be more than fine.
Stock up on perennials, take calculated risks on new stock.
Stock up on perennials, take calculated risks on new stock.
In the age old argument of writers vs artists, on average writers are a bigger draw for sales than artists.
If a writer writes 4 books and an artist draws one, it's just maths
Of course the writers are going to sell more volume and be more exposed to different customers.
If a writer writes 4 books and an artist draws one, it's just maths
Of course the writers are going to sell more volume and be more exposed to different customers.
No matter how many people say they want something different, the bread and butter customers of a regular comics shop just want the same thing as always but remixed.
There is like, yes and years of X-Men books that is nearly unsellable to either older readers or new readers. Zero interest.
No matter how hard we try, some characters don't sell and will never sell for us. Same as some publishers.
There are occasional spikes depending on certain creators, but after they leave we go back to minimum/no sales.
There are occasional spikes depending on certain creators, but after they leave we go back to minimum/no sales.
Is it the same for everyone? No, these are us, Big Bang Comics, here in Ireland. Some might apply to your comic store too. Others will be wildly different.
We just like sharing these things because it breaks up the monotony of the excel spreadsheets…
We just like sharing these things because it breaks up the monotony of the excel spreadsheets…
Non regular sized graphic novels sell less than regular sized graphic novels.
Oversized, landscape, all those might look cool but they don't fit the majority of shops' display spaces properly, therefore making them harder to move.
Oversized, landscape, all those might look cool but they don't fit the majority of shops' display spaces properly, therefore making them harder to move.
As a retailer, we have to be ready to kill our darlings.
You might think this creator or this book is the best thing ever, but if your customers don't, you have to let it go.
You might think this creator or this book is the best thing ever, but if your customers don't, you have to let it go.
There are a lot of books you'll order with the explicit purpose of hand selling them.
You will not have the time to hand sell them.
You will not have the time to hand sell them.
