ISSA Annual Report

ISSA Annual Report 2006 - 2007
5th March 2008

The ISSA Annual Report 2007 – 2008 has just been released and the figures show that a total of 341 ISSA Complaint Forms were issued during that period. This represented a 64.7% increase on the previous year which is probably accounted for by the publicity in the trade press surrounding self-regulation.

The 341 originating complaints constituted a total of 771 breaches of ISSA Standards and related to 64 wholesale houses. Newspapers accounted for 60% of the complaints.

The mere existence of ISSA ensured that 92.4% of all complaints got resolved at Level 1, with 26 complaints progressing to an independent Arbitrator at Level 2. Of these, 18 were found in favour of the retailer. Just 13 complaints went before the Level 3 panel of Arbitrators with 11 Stage 2 decisions being upheld.

The statistics reveal that Timeliness of Delivery no longer attracts the greatest number of complaints. The number of complaints in this category has fallen steadily from 60.1% in the year 2000 – 2001 to 21.8% in the year under review. Unfortunately, Customer Service is now the leading area of complaint with 28% of the total, up from 3.1% in the year 2000 – 2001.

Neil Robinson, Industry Service Standards Group Chairman said, “The ISSA is a major industry initiative which has now been in operation for 11 years. It provides an efficient and fair way for retailers and wholesalers to resolve their differences. The industry is better serviced by its mere existence and I am delighted that it enables 92% of disputes to be resolved at the Level 1 conciliation stage.”

***Ends***

Notes to editors:

1. The ISSA was launched on 1st October 1996 in response to a recommendation from the DTI following the 1993 MMC inquiry. It was developed jointly by publishers, wholesalers and retailers to form the minimum standard of service that wholesalers will provide to retailers of newspapers and magazines. It also provides a Complaints Process whereby retailers can seek redress when the service they receive falls seriously or persistently short of the required Standards.
2. The number and type of ISSA complaints against them monitor wholesale performance, and more importantly, whether complaints are resolved satisfactorily.
3. ISSA Arbitrators have all worked within the industry and therefore have a wealth of specific knowledge that is vital to their role. They have also been trained by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
4. Up-channel Standards are in place that cover the relationship between Publishers/Distributors and Wholesalers.
5. ISSA Governing Body comprises:
   Association of Newspapers & Magazine Wholesalers (ANMW)
   Association of News Retailing (ANR)
   British Retail Consortium (BRC)
   National Federation of Retail Newsagents (NFRN)
   Newspaper Publishers Association (NPA)
   Periodical Publishers Association (PPA)

For further Information, please contact:

Neil Robinson, Industry Service Standards Group Chairman
Tel: 01206 862600
Mobile: 07958 777183

5th March 2008