Virgin Trains and the Daily Fail

[Lockdoctor]

According to the BBC, Virgin say they sell 1 copy per 4 trains, about 70 a day apparently.

I suspect they'd prefer to use the space on the trains to stock something more likely to sell.

If that figure is true then Virgin Trains should stop selling all newspapers because the sales of rival papers can't be worth bothering about either.

[I1L2T3]

The Daily Mail is the second biggest selling newspaper in the country so it is most likely in the top two of Virgin Trains sales. You have obviously no business nous because no business would reorder hundreds of copies a day of newspapers that nobody wanted to buy or read.

 

Maybe that is exactly what has happened, but Virgin is perhaps using it to have a political dig as well.

[Lockdoctor]

Maybe that is exactly what has happened, but Virgin is perhaps using it to have a political dig as well.

Virgin Trains should concentrate on providing a good train service rather than having a political dig at a newspaper. If there is no demand for newspapers on their trains, then they should just stop selling newspapers rather than having a cheap shot at one newspaper for whatever reasons.

[tinfoilhat]

Virgin Trains should concentrate on providing a good train service rather than having a political dig at a newspaper. If there is no demand for newspapers on their trains, then they should just stop selling newspapers rather than having a cheap shot at one newspaper for whatever reasons.

 

Yes, because the bastion of truth and justice that is the daily mail, NEVER take cheap shots at anyone.

[Lockdoctor]

Yes, because the bastion of truth and justice that is the daily mail, NEVER take cheap shots at anyone.

The role of a newspaper is to provide news and opinions. The role of a train operator is to provide a train service and extras such as drinks, toilets etc and not political opinions.

[I1L2T3]

Virgin Trains should concentrate on providing a good train service rather than having a political dig at a newspaper. If there is no demand for newspapers on their trains, then they should just stop selling newspapers rather than having a cheap shot at one newspaper for whatever reasons.

 

They seem to see removing the DM as an improvement to the service.

[L00b]

I see that the DM was removed on the dual basis of falling sales aboard trains (VT gave notice to DM back in November 2017) and employee feedback (hence notice in rail union magazine), and that Virgin trains will still be selling the Mirror, the FT and the Times.

 

So, the take away points are that Virgin Trains-

 

(i) is managing onboard inventory on train routes in the pursuit of maximising revenue (unsurprisingly);

 

(ii) is an employer engaging with its employees; and

 

(iii) is not stopping its customers from purchasing news in print from several independent sources (no censorship here, under any stretches of meaning: VT is not stopping users from boarding trains with a DM and reading it, are they?)

 

Not much of anything to see here, beyond the DM frothing at being hoisted on its own petard.

 

Karma, says I: live by the sword pen, perish by the sword pen

Edited January 10, 2018 by L00b

[jackanne]

In todays daily mail it says that virgin only sold 70 copies per day.

[I1L2T3]

In todays daily mail it says that virgin only sold 70 copies per day.

 

Not a problem then. Sales were poor so they stopped selling it, and exploited the publicity angle as well

[Lockdoctor]

Not a problem then. Sales were poor so they stopped selling it, and exploited the publicity angle as well

I can't see what Virgin Trains will gain from exploiting the publicity angle, but can envisage which newspaper disgruntled Virgin Train passengers will contact in the future to publicise their complaints. I predict an own goal for Virgin Trains.