Andy Battaglia of Comics Etc. in
Diamond Comics makes the claim that they delay shipping so that all stores get their books the same day. In fact, Diamond's policies have had the opposite effect. Diamond tries to get us to swallow that customers will drive hundreds of miles to a store in a different UPS zone to buy their comics one day early, so they have to delay the comics to all stores, as a remedy. This is completely bogus now more than ever. Customers are cutting down weekly visits and coming in every other week because they cannot afford the gas on a weekly basis, yet Diamond persists with this fantasy that they are protecting retailers from lost sales by preventing other retailers from getting the books early. However, they don't seem even slightly bothered that by delivering books to Canadian retailers one day early, that they may be hurting U.S. retailers on the border.
This issue should not be US vs. Canadian retailers. This problem is a new problem just in the past year. The two day delays over the Christmas and New Year's holidays were a newly created delay in 2007. Delaying books for a holiday that happens after comic day for the week is also a new creation. And perhaps while they're at it, they can try to stop sending books to the wrong warehouse so that we can get 100% of our order the week the book comes out. Kick Ass # 3 was not an isolated instance. Where oh where are my Umbrella Academy TBPs this week? I received 40% of my order again. This has happened regularly in recent months.
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