The ABC of single-copy sales -

Theme

Theme is a level of product categorisation. Themes include, for example, house and garden, cars, tabloids.

Value added tax (VAT)

Collectibles, maps, calendars have a VAT rate of 24% while newspapers, magazines and books have a rate of 10%. Typical exceptions include magazines supplemented with music or video, which have a VAT rate of 24%.

Prematures

Copies returned before the off-sale date.

On-sale date

The date when a product is scheduled to go on display at outlets. The on-sale date anchors the other dates in the supply chain, setting the schedule for the entire supply chain.

Special control

Issues with unusual sales expectations or on-sale periods are subjected to special control.

Standalone return

A return picked up for the purpose of physically returning it to supplier, not for destruction. Products picked up from distribution points as standalone returns are packed in separate striped bags to distinguish them from other items in the returns process.

Cover information

Product information on products vary by product group. Product information is either printed or labelled with a stick-on label. The required product information and the labelling method are agreed separately for each product as they are introduced to the selection. As a rule, products are required to display a price, a Lehtipiste product ID, a bar code, week of return, and any labels indicating standalone return.

Checkout line magazine

Checkout line magazines are products for sale at the store’s checkout display. The checkout line magazine selection is determined each January based on previous year’s actual sales. New selection comes into effect each year on February 1. New titles with checkout line magazine-level sales expectations can be introduced at checkouts mid-year.

Picking

The process for creating shipments and packing them in transport units.

Picking session

Picking session refers to a set of shipments picked at a certain dispatch centre, picked, packed and shipped as one batch on a particular picking date.

Demand estimate

A sales estimate for the next issues of a title at an outlet based on a one-year sales history. Both analytics-based forecasts and demand rules set by ELMO users are taken into account when calculating a demand estimate.

On-sale period

The maximum on-sale period is eight (8) weeks (56 days) for magazines and 12 weeks for books (excl. crosswords and paperbacks). For other products, the on-sale period is agreed separately with Lehtipiste.

Zero quantity return

Zero quantity return refers to a situation where no copies are returned for an issue (0 copies). For checkout line magazines, a return qualifies as a zero quantity return when the amount of returned copies is smaller than the number of checkouts (checkout displays).

Purging

Purging refers to removing a product from an outlet’s selection due to low sales. Purging occurs when average sales at an outlet or chain drop below a purging threshold.

Normalised baseline sales

Average estimated sales for a normal period cleared of any seasonal impact or deviations, used as a basis of calculation.

Returns period

The time period between the off-sale date for a product and the last day it is eligible for return.

Week of return

The week, derived from the off-sale date, during which a returns request is placed.

Coverage

Outlets that carry an issue constitute its coverage.

Preorder cutoff

Indicates the number of days before on-sale date a product must be preordered.

Selection basket (for chain)

Chain’s selection basket determines the product range its outlets can carry.

Bar code

All products for sale in stores are required to have a unique identifier along with a bar code for electronic scanning. The identifier is called a GTIN code (Global Trade Item Number, formerly EAN code). Bar code is the identifier data represented in parallel lines. For more information on how to display the identifier on products sold by Lehtipiste, click here.