Distribution methods question 3

Distribution methods of magazines:




The first steps of how the magazine is distributed includes the fact that once it is completed it needs to be printed which is most commonly done by the publisher which would have previously been chosen by the owner of the magazine which usually links to the magazines specific genre however in some cases this is the complete opposite as the owner might want a publisher who doesn't publish that specific genre, suggesting that they are unique.
Once the magazines are printed with complete margins meaning that no information from the magazine is missing and has been cut off while printing, then all the copies are stapled using electronic machinery also known as a binding machine which has both pros and cons, some being the fact that the process is completed a lot quicker and no employees are required to be hired to manually staple the magazines together, However these cons may suggest aspects such as the high cost to run these electric machines throughout the day, the pollution and waste they may produce effecting the environment, setting up the machines and making sure they run accordingly without any problems etc.
Once this process is complete the magazine would then be distributed around the country to a variety of retail parks and shops known to sell different types of magazines, one example of a shop that sells magazines include WH Smiths through a number of ways, suggesting that a variety of transport will be used, these may commonly include using relatively large delivery trucks which are effective but again have problems such as paying for the petrol or diesel which would be an extremely high price as the trucks have to travel a vast distance, and also covering the payment of the driver which may be included with the price of the petrol.




The second way includes delivery trains which are usually used for travelling long distances and through research I have concluded that these specific trains are a lot cheaper than trucks, this is simply due to the fact that there are multiple deliveries that the train is taking and unloading throughout its route due to its large size (Length), where as the trucks or vans specifically focus on your shipment. Another positive aspect of the train method is the fact that the delivery will be completed a lot faster, Clearly because trains are faster than trucks or vans.


The last method of transportation is using a plane, this specific method is only used when the magazine is created in one country but was planned to be sold in another, this is the most expensive method used to be distributed which would effect and decrease the profit generated from selling the magazine, simply because aeroplanes would use a lot of gas, even the destination was a short way away, and one other con of this method is the amount of air pollution that is created which again effects the environment.


The last physical method used is ships and cargo boats, which carry a variety of shipments in large metal containers, these are used worldwide however smaller ships would travel smaller distances, an example being, from London to France. However there are two key cons besides from the matter of pollution, these include the fact that these ships are relatively slow and once the boat reaches its destination another physical method would be required to transport the shipment to the retail parks, this may again include delivery trucks which come at an additional price.

The final method which isn't a physical type of transport however it only occurs to some magazine companies includes only having an online edition of the magazine would is the cheapest method as creating a website and uploading issues of the magazines are fairly simple and cheap simply because no transport of driver is required, however someone may need to be hired to ensure the website is safe to use and secure so no one could harm the website. This method is most effective because of the fact that it could be viewed by anyone with access to the internet around the world, but from further research completed only 45%, less than half the world have access to the internet, However it can still be viewed by the world, not just one specific country or location.


Lastly, once the shipment has reached its destination the shop will most definitely charge the company to store and sell the magazine, or they might simply just take a certain amount of money out of each copy that is purchased in the shop for a specific duration of time. Due to this one pro is the fact that only the company which focuses on the online edition wont be charged any additional charges to store their magazine.