Retailers

[mwynn]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/he...ndemic-1285287

Eric Stephenson has penned an open letter asking other companies to let stores return inventory.

[mwynn]

https://www.newsarama.com/49517-marv...9DQuJ4vRzB3YyQ

MARVEL COMICS Offering Deep Discounts On Comics to Help Retailers Through Coronavirus

[mwynn]

We are going to have to move to a direct to retailer and customer model.

[InuYashaCrusade]

I really don't know what to do about getting my new comics now. The shop I have my pull list with had to close on Wednesday due to the mall it is located in closing. I've got another comic shop near me but I have no idea if they'll be open by the time Wednesday rolls around. They said as long as the state doesn't shut down they'll be open, but now they've ordered non-essential businesses to close this coming Monday. So, I have no idea where to go from here. I'll have to buy online for the next couple of weeks I guess, which sucks because I like making sure my comics are in good condition.

This entire situation is very bad for retail and hobbies in general. Scary times.

[ben6543]

Originally Posted by InuYashaCrusade

I really don't know what to do about getting my new comics now. The shop I have my pull list with had to close on Wednesday due to the mall it is located in closing. I've got another comic shop near me but I have no idea if they'll be open by the time Wednesday rolls around. They said as long as the state doesn't shut down they'll be open, but now they've ordered non-essential businesses to close this coming Monday. So, I have no idea where to go from here. I'll have to buy online for the next couple of weeks I guess, which sucks because I like making sure my comics are in good condition.

This entire situation is very bad for retail and hobbies in general. Scary times.

Same the Store I order from online had to close but will still take online orders for a while . I am still waiting for my order to ship out that I placed on Monday

[InuYashaCrusade]

Originally Posted by ben6543

Same the Store I order from online had to close but will still take online orders for a while . I am still waiting for my order to ship out that I placed on Monday

All of this feels so surreal. Seeing all of these retailers have to shut their doors and people losing jobs. Many retailers were struggling to begin with, I can only imagine how this virus will impact retail going forward. The collectibles market is sure to take a big hit as a result of the Coronavirus. Less jobs means less spending on hobbies and anything that isn't a necessity. More delays and cancelled releases, etc.

I placed an order last night with Hot Topic specifically because they made the right call and closed the stores days before they would have been forced to. Times like these show you who the good companies are and I want to support them if possible, even if it's in a small way.

[mwynn]

A lot of stores have an online option, if they are unable to do curbside.

My entire CON season is close to being canceled. I had to cancel the release of the new issue.

I am going to take a serious hit this year. Working on doing some Virtual cons. If anyone is interested I will post links here.

[mwynn]

[Comicfan]

https://www.comingsoon.net/comics/ne...tion-to-stores

Diamond Will Cease Comic Book Distribution to Stores
Brick and mortar comics retailers will effectively be unable to function

By Max Evry
ON March 23, 2020



Diamond will cease comic book distribution to stores

In an enormous blow to the direct market, Diamond Comic Distributors will cease accepting new comic books from printers, as confirmed by ComicBook. Diamond is the largest distributor of comics in North America, with exclusive distribution arrangements with most major publishers including Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Dark Horse, IDW, Image and more.

This news is obviously born out of the current COVID-19 outbreak and its crippling effect on most industries. Comic book retailers are particularly vulnerable, as most operate on slim margins and face competition from online retailers like Amazon or digital comics purveyors such as Comixology. With the shutdown of Diamond, brick and mortar comics retailers will effectively be unable to function.

The outlet notes that Diamond will continue to ship out comics and other product already in its warehouse for now, but it will not be long before the flow of new issues ceases entirely.

The move comes less than two weeks after Diamond cancelled its annual retailer summit, which was to have taken place April 14-16 in Orlando, Florida. Shortly after that the promotional event Free Comic Book May was also postponed until an unspecified date later this year.

Prior to the current pandemic, 2020 was expected to be a huge year for comic book movies in the cinemas including the already-released Birds of Prey and Bloodshot as well as the forthcoming The New Mutants, Black Widow, Wonder Woman 1984, The Eternals, Morbius, Venom 2 and The King’s Man.

ComingSoon.net recommends all readers comply with CDC guidelines and remain as isolated as possible during this urgent time.

In Maryland,all non essential businesses close down at 5pm.I called my comic shop about what the plans are after they close down at 5pm.They said that they are still determining those issues(this was before the above article hit) but that this week's comics,they have permission to sell early due to the shutdown in Maryland.If I could get up there before 5pm,I could get this week's comics which I did.So I have this week's new comics and got to finish off March.The future now is uncertain especially with the above article about Diamond.

[mwynn]

A few stores have said they are getting books next week, and have not heard from Diamond yet. Other plans have to be put in motion.

[InuYashaCrusade]

Originally Posted by mwynn

A few stores have said they are getting books next week, and have not heard from Diamond yet. Other plans have to be put in motion.

https://mcucosmic.com/2020/03/23/com...-the-pandemic/

It says here that 4/1 is the last shipment

"This means that local shops will not be able to receive any comics dated after April 1st. So even if your local shop was doing things like delivery or curb side pickup, you won’t be able to get new comics until Diamond decides to start shipping them again."

[mwynn]

Originally Posted by InuYashaCrusade

https://mcucosmic.com/2020/03/23/com...-the-pandemic/

It says here that 4/1 is the last shipment

"This means that local shops will not be able to receive any comics dated after April 1st. So even if your local shop was doing things like delivery or curb side pickup, you won’t be able to get new comics until Diamond decides to start shipping them again."

Yeah just saw that. As I said in the X-men thread, this broken model will need to be fixed soon.

[ben6543]

Originally Posted by InuYashaCrusade

https://mcucosmic.com/2020/03/23/com...-the-pandemic/

It says here that 4/1 is the last shipment

"This means that local shops will not be able to receive any comics dated after April 1st. So even if your local shop was doing things like delivery or curb side pickup, you won’t be able to get new comics until Diamond decides to start shipping them again."

I hope this doesn't happen with Marvel/DC I need my Thor Doctor Strange and Hellblazer.

[InuYashaCrusade]

Originally Posted by mwynn

Yeah just saw that. As I said in the X-men thread, this broken model will need to be fixed soon.

Outside of digital what is a possible option?

[mwynn]

Originally Posted by InuYashaCrusade

Outside of digital what is a possible option?

This needs to be short and long term options. Online ordering will be an option. Long term is another distro has to rise up. Without that direct to consumer will become an option. I have a few things going on in both directions.

[ben6543]

Such BS Comic Book Stores are considered non essential Business but Liquor Stores are Essential?

Screw the booze keep the Comic stores open

[Comicfan]

https://www.newsarama.com/49542-what...retailers.html

Leading Comics Retailer Explains Diamond News, Warns Against Digital-Only Switch

By Vaneta Rogers, Newsarama Contributor
March 23, 2020

With Monday's announcement that Diamond Comics Distributors would stop receiving new product from printers for distribution, Newsarama went to well-known comic book retailer Joe Field to find out what this means for the industry.

Field, the California retailer who came up with the idea for Free Comic Book Day, explained that new printed comic books will stop arriving to stores next week, but he emphasized that the comic book market can survive — if publishers, creators and readers work together and avoid the temptation to switch to digital only.

“What we know for sure is that the distribution stops as of next week’s shipment,” Field said.

What that means, Field explained, is that readers will not get new printed comic books, starting with the books scheduled for release on April 1. The retailer admitted that most comic book stores will probably close temporarily, but some — like his Flying Colors Comics in Concord, Calif. — may still be open for readers to acquire reading material during the coronavirus crisis.

“I believe there are still going to be shops, and we might be one of them on an incredibly limited basis, that still have some kind of a curbside service for what we have in stock,” Field said. In fact, his shop is already shut down except Wednesday and Saturday during limited hours, when curbside service is offered.

“And believe me, I got plenty of comics! I can take care of people with comics until this whole thing moves through,” he said. “Are they the new comics that everybody wants every Wednesday? No. But you know what? There’s a lot of stuff they haven’t read yet that we still have that they’ll probably enjoy.”

Field added that a few stores — including his own — have had trouble securing reliable information about Diamond’s delivery of this week’s books as well. In Field’s case, his shipment was impacted by a freight company shutting down, although he’s hoping his store’s books left Diamond via another freight company last week.

“Anyone who was still operating is probably going to get this week’s books, but they just might not get them in as timely a fashion,” Field said.

Field believes the direct comic book market can survive this setback, but only if publishers, readers, retailers and creators pull together. And he disagrees with some of his friends in the comic book creative community who are calling for continued release of new product to digital only.

“I think everyone in this business is scrambling for whatever dollars they can find right now because we don’t know how long we’re going to go without getting any new dollars in. So there is desperation in the market,” Field said. “But I don’t think that desperation should lead to changing the market in such a way that comic book publishers would leave their best sales force on the sideline, permanently.”

Field said he’s heard rumors that publishers are considering a continuation of production by just going 100 percent digital for now — something he does not want to happen. “Or they’re maybe going to offer retailers digital codes that we would sell that would be good for getting print books when this thing is finally settled,” Field said.

“Both of those options are completely unacceptable,” he said. “They would have very difficult ramifications for many, many comic shops.”

Field is hoping publishers will simply stop producing new content, and that the Direct Market will survive with the support of readers, publishers and creators during this difficult time.

“I know that many of my customers right now are bonafide angels. They have no interest in digital. They have interest, fully, in continuing to buy from me when I can sell to them,” he said. “And for that loyalty, I’m really deeply grateful.

“I think for many people who read comics, it’s not just about the comics — it’s about where they buy them and the community they belong to,” he said. “That’s something that they’re not going to get any place else. Publishers really need to be aware of that, and any solution that includes an exclusive digital thing is not going to be workable.”

Newsarama reached out to leading digital distributor - the Amazon-owned and operated comiXology to try to gauge their position as to whether publishers should pause releasing new comic books digitally while Diamond pauses physical distribution. A spokesperson replied for the time being, "comiXology plans to release comics this Wednesday at the usual time."

We will continue to pursue a dialogue with them about their position regarding future weeks and months.

Field said he believes in the resilience of comics as a medium, of comic shops as the primary purveyors of comics to the masses, and he believes in comic retailers’ ability to adapt.

“I’ll tell you a quick story from one of the architects of comics, the late great Will Eisner,” Field said. “He would come to retailer meeting at the San Diego Comic-Con to take the pulse of the market and give us a pep talk.

“He said that about once every three years since he got into comics in the mid 1930s that he would be told, ‘You better get out of comics. They're dying and won't be here much longer,’” Field said. “He told that story as late as the early 2000s, so he was told that comics were dead probably 20 different times.

“Yet, at the time of his passing, he was still creating!” Field said. “That's inspiration for me. I believe we can make it through this too.”

[ben6543]

**** digital comics. I am physical till I die

[InuYashaCrusade]

I placed an order with Midtown Comics for my issues from last week and this week. They've got 20% off for the next week and I'd rather not leave the house unless I have to, which has only been for groceries and work now. My usual shop should have the issues from last week but I have no idea when they'll be reopening. I buy a lot of other items from them such as Funko Pops, t-shirts, DVD/Blu-rays, etc., so I'll make up for it and buy a bunch of stuff along with my pull list when they reopen.

I wish Marauders came out this week and not next week. Now I have no clue how or when I'll get around to reading it. That's my favorite series I'm reading at the moment.

[ben6543]

Originally Posted by InuYashaCrusade

I placed an order with Midtown Comics for my issues from last week and this week. They've got 20% off for the next week and I'd rather not leave the house unless I have to, which has only been for groceries and work now. My usual shop should have the issues from last week but I have no idea when they'll be reopening. I buy a lot of other items from them such as Funko Pops, t-shirts, DVD/Blu-rays, etc., so I'll make up for it and buy a bunch of stuff along with my pull list when they reopen.

I wish Marauders came out this week and not next week. Now I have no clue how or when I'll get around to reading it. That's my favorite series I'm reading at the moment.

I use Midtown also. Actually have an order from them on the way . done 5 (the 5th being my most recent one) online orders they are perfectly packed always bagged and boarded when I get them. they use UPS mail innovations for shipping when I buy from them.