Etiquette when buying newspapers
Etiquette when buying newspapers
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Discussion

LeeThr

Original Poster:

3,122 posts

202 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
quotequote all
(This thread could do with a Poll but for the life of me I can't see the option to add one anywhere)

I've worked in retail now for a few years (just a stop gap whilst i'm in uni getting ready to become a big powerful PH company director) and one thing I have noticed is peoples attitudes towards buying newspapers. (I know probably most people on here are asking "whats one of them I get all my news online now) The thing that annoys me is I go to the effort of putting all the papers out in the morning tidy and presentable, and customers then come in and instead of just taking the first copy they can see they insist on taking the copy behind it, and in the process manage to scruff up the first copy making it look less appealing leading more people to do the same. Occasionally you get someone that just takes the first copy leaving you with a blank canvas for someone to come do the same again. It's a loosing battle and we just end up with a number of copies that are really scruffy through no fault of our own and unless it's a good seller like the daily fail and it's the last one nobody wants them.

One woman really drove this point home and annoyed me in the process the other week, she came in and proceeded to get a daily fail but had to take the second copy in the process making a complete mess of what was a good copy on top and then comes to the till knowing I'd just witnessed her doing so and made the comment "I don't think anybody ever takes the top one do they" I did feel like just telling her straight that they would if people like her didn't insist on what she'd just done but bit my tongue.

So (If you still do) how do you buy your papers and why?

(Mod's if anybody could add a poll please add the following options
1. I just take the first copy to hand
2. I have to have a perfect copy no matter what damage I do to the others
3. What's a newspaper? I get all my news online
4. I really couldn't care what's going on in the world)

Dusty964

7,394 posts

221 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
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Option 4.

But......

Without 'what's going on in the world' on the end.


HOGEPH

5,249 posts

217 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
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Option 5. I use toilet paper to wipe my arse.

vanordinaire

3,701 posts

193 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
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Always take the best looking one, whether its 1 2 or 17th in the pile. Also always check for flyers etc stuffed inside and surreptitiously stuff them back into the rack.
Why? Because I'm the customer and I'm the one that's buying the paper so I'll take the one I want.

callmedave

2,686 posts

176 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
quotequote all
Newspapers are sale or return no?

This issue does not just affect Newspapers:

a classic is my Local Co-op, they have stuff marked down 50% as its near its sell by date, people buy this as its cheaper (and lets be honest, you only shop in Co-op for stuff you are using that day, i dont think anyone does a weekly shop there do they?) This means that the 'fresh' stuff doesnt get sold, which means the next day its reduced as its near it sell by date. the cycle continues.

Imagine working in a clothes shop, customer picks up trousers to look at them, for one reason or another doesnt buy them and plonks them back on top - Have you ever seen a customer fold clothes up and put them back?


To answer your poll: 3 & 4.

johnwilliams77

8,308 posts

134 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
quotequote all
2,3,4

SHutchinson

2,384 posts

215 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
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Is this not just down to how you are displaying them?

trowelhead

1,867 posts

152 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
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I usually pull one from the middle, then boot the rest of the pile across the floor on my way out biggrin

mike74

3,687 posts

163 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
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I've got to admit I always get the paper below the top one... haven't got a clue why I do it!

toon10

7,152 posts

188 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
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I've not bought a newspaper in years. I use tinternet at work and smart phone for quick news fix.

RicksAlfas

14,580 posts

275 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
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I only get a Sunday paper, and I have to rummage through it to make sure all the sections are there.
Quite often they are not - is it because some scrote has nicked them, or do they come badly inserted from the printers?

OP - if you could iron the papers and guarantee all the sections are there, I'm sure people will start taking the top one.

Smokehead

7,703 posts

259 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
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I always put the news up on my second screen.

Quhet

2,955 posts

177 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
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We get ours delivered

LeeThr

Original Poster:

3,122 posts

202 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
quotequote all
RicksAlfas said:
I only get a Sunday paper, and I have to rummage through it to make sure all the sections are there.
Quite often they are not - is it because some scrote has nicked them, or do they come badly inserted from the printers?

OP - if you could iron the papers and guarantee all the sections are there, I'm sure people will start taking the top one.
I only work in the shop weekends, 99% of the time my shift starts at 6am with the paper delivery's.

I always leave the copies that come delivered damaged/scruffy right at the back, and any that are missing inserts/late delivery of inserts I keep behind the counter until they arrive or such a time when we run out of full copies and people ask if we have any more and I can explain that we do but there missing X or Z. There's no reason to not take the top copy on the shelf yet people still insist on doing so.

Patch1875

5,063 posts

163 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
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Option 2

We only buy at the weekends but I don't really read the paper just all the supplements usually.

Ste1987

1,798 posts

137 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
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I used to work for a supermarket and didn't even know this was a thing confused

John D.

21,142 posts

240 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
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I buy 99% of my papers from WH Smith in Paddington station. Frequently just after it opens in the morning. I never take the top copy as its already scuffed up; from being transported with plastic bands holding the pack together I presume.

Admittedly the staff in this shop don't go to much effort beyond dumping the stack of papers in a stack in a dispenser. So I don't feel too bad about this biggrin

BOBTEE

1,034 posts

195 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
quotequote all
callmedave said:
Imagine working in a clothes shop, customer picks up trousers to look at them, for one reason or another doesnt buy them and plonks them back on top - Have you ever seen a customer fold clothes up and put them back?
To be fair, the way clothes retailers fold their clothes is a bloody mystery to 90% of the population! If it helps, I do try to put stuff back and feel bad if it looks a mess (for about 30 seconds).

Roo

11,504 posts

238 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
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Quhet said:
We get ours delivered
Same here.

br d

9,072 posts

257 months

Tuesday 15th March 2016
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mike74 said:
I've got to admit I always get the paper below the top one... haven't got a clue why I do it!
Yep same here, unless there's only one left obviously.