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Diamond Make Wednesday Comics Day Official For The UK

In a new release to retailers, Diamond have made the Day-Early Delivery programme official.

Which means that all, not some, retailers can qualify for Tuesday deliveries, for a Wednesday on-sale date for comics and comic-related product distributed by Diamond Comic Distributors.

For some customers this means they can now expect to get their comics on Wednesday morning at their local comic shop, rather than some unspecified time during the afternoon.

And for those retailers this gives them time to prepare, sort and stack the next day's orders rather than having to do it while impatient customers wait.

And for the UK, it means that all shops can get their orders in for Tuesday, where previously it was Wednesday for the big favoured stores, and Thursdays for the more provincial ones. So official comics day has moved back from Thursday to Wednesday.

Which means that Brits will get to buy their American comics of the shelf at least five hours before… Americans. Watch for spoilers folks!!!

All shops have to return their forms by October 25th, stating whether or not they wish to participate.

Go on, let's have the bumf…

"Day-Early Delivery is a direct result of the cooperation and flexibility of our industry's leading publishers, and feedback from specific customers and the retail community as a whole," said Diamond Vice President of Sales & Marketing Roger Fletcher. "We've worked to present a balanced view of the potential benefits and drawbacks of Day-Early Delivery and we're very happy that a strong consensus to move forward has emerged."

"Day-Early Delivery is a significant undertaking for all involved," added Diamond Vice President of Purchasing Bill Schanes. "It required the agreement of our premier publishers, who have to work with their creative and production teams as well as their printers to rearrange their publishing schedules. In addition, like Diamond, these publishers will absorb some negative cash flow to make this option available. Printers, in turn, will be adjusting their printing and shipping schedules. We thank both of these important partners for helping us make this option available to our customers."

"Working out the details of Day-Early Delivery has posed several logistical challenges, which our Distribution Center staffs are eager to meet" said Diamond Vice President of Operations Cindy Fournier. "While it requires rearranging our work schedules, and some more expensive weekend work hours, we know how beneficial this new service can be for our customers, and we are committed to its success."

The release also credits Paul Stock, owner of comic shop Librairie Astro in Montreal, as the originator of the suggestion that participating retailers fund a third party monitoring system to ensure retailers still to the agreed on sale date. $4 per account per week is the sum – damn, they should have made it $3.99 for the irony. And the penalties for breaking that date could be severe;

For the first confirmed offense, the retailer will face a one-month suspension of Day-Early Delivery privileges. For the second confirmed offense, the retailer will face a three-month suspension of Day-Early Delivery privileges. For the third confirmed offense, the retailer will face an indefinite suspension.

What's more, if you want back in after suspension, you still have to pay your £4 a week during that time. And retaiklers who make false accusations to their competitors will receive the same chastisement. And there is the phrase that may cause dread amngst some..

All violations will be determined by Diamond in its sole discretion.

UK stores, being in a closer geographical location will not have to pay the weekly fee, for now at least, and will be monitored without secret shoppers and the like.

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