Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, entertainment, marvel, star wars

Marvel Approved "Early" Sales Today Because It Would Help Marketshare?

Published Fri, 01 Jan 2016 17:00:14 -0600

Marvel shipped a number of comic books early to some stores in the US this week in error, apparently. But told retailers that they couldn't sell them until next week. Even though many had unpacked, stacked, slipped then into pull lists and sold them on eBay. We mentioned it a couple of times, including the news that Marvel had relented and said that stores could sell the book from today. And also released them today on ComiXology.

But why wait till the 1st of January when some stores were selling it from the 30th December? Why not do it earlier?

I'm told that Marvel finances are measured by when comic books are officially on sale in stores from. Even though those comics were sold by some stores from the 30th, by making the official date the 1st, all those sales count towards the first quarter of 2016 and January marketshare. The first quarter is traditionally a down period for the comics industry. It seems that the last quarter, full as it was with Vader Down, Secret Wars and All-New All-Different Marvel didn't need any help, but the next one will. And this might just add a percent or so onto that figure, especially with a new Star Wars #1 issue.

Say… could that be why Uncanny X-Men #1 slipped to January? And Secret Wars #9???

Conspiracy!

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