In addition to the distribution of magazines and newspapers, Smiths News & Menzies Distribution have taken advantage in recent years of their position in the independent convenience store market. They have an agreement in place with 10,000 of their retailers, to automatically allocate any suitable product, not just newspapers, on Sale-or-Return (providing it fits into certain criteria) to these 10,000 stores and then simply add the cost of these goods onto the customer’s next newspaper invoice.

All products and commercials are vetted and approved by Innzone. Innzone then present the S.O.R. product to Smiths News and Menzies Distribution for their company approval, including risk management assessment. The two estates then feedback whether the product is one they would like to proceed with. If positive, Innzone agree between the news wholesaler and the supplier, on the number of stores suitable for the allocation (anywhere between 500 and 10,000), the length of the “on-sale” period for the product (4, 6, 8 weeks etc) and the most suitable on-sale date. The difference between the quantity of units supplied to Innzone and the quantity returned by retailers (which is subsquently returned to the supplier) is called the Net Sale figure and it is the Net Sale on which all suppliers are paid (per unit).

Please note however all mint returns can be recycled into new outers (e.g. Counter-Display-Units) and re-packaged as new for a second allocation just a matter of weeks later (from the original allocation), thereby increasing the overall net sale figure from the original supply.

Take a look at the box below for a summary of how allocation can work for your product:

Is my product more suited to Allocation or Telesales?

Here is a check list:

For more information on our Allocation services including all commercial requirements, please email info@innzone.com