MARVEL MOVES BACK INTO 7-11s

**MattBrady** · 03-02-2005, 12:41 PM

Marvel’s March 1st investor presentation which was part of a larger Bear Stearns conference confirmed what Marvel sources had previously told Newsarama, that is, Marvel is making a comeback to 7-11 stores across the country. Marvel’s Peter Cuneo said that the publisher will see comics in just under 6000 of the convenience stores, doubling the number of outlets for the comics in the U.S. (presumably both direct market – widely quoted as consisting of 3000 accounts via Diamond, and other outlets). Cuneo predicted that the 7-11 placement would have a large impact on Marvel's business, both financially and in exposing Marvel's comics to a wider audience.

The company's coporate website lists the number Cuneo was referring to as 5,800 stores across the United States, which see roughly 6 million people a day.

Avi Arad, who described the 7-11 announcement as the company’s best news added that Marvel wanted to get back to a time when kids could find comics at their local 7-11s. Arad said that Marvel has developed a product for this market. Sources at Marvel told Newsarama that the company’s “Marvel Adventures” line will be the backbone of the 7-11 deal, with other comics included as well.

Along with moving back into 7-11s, it was also announced that Marvel had reached a deal with Barnes & Noble to sell comics in 300 more stores across the U.S., following the conclusion of a successful 50-store test.

The move back to the convenience stores will be one that both other publishers and convenience store chains will be watching closely. 20 – 25 years ago, convenience store distribution of comics was a major force for moving product to the mass audience, but over the years, comics’ presence in such outlets has dwindled to virtually nothing due to a host of reasons, including thin margins for the retailer compared to other products and decreased readership, though the argument of whether the decrease in readership caused the lack of mass market outlets or the lack of mass market outlets caused the decline in readership can go on for weeks.

adamcasey · 03-02-2005, 12:50 PM

Good news: Comics back in stores.

Bad news: Marvel Adventures? As has been anecodately stated elsewhere, when people were kids, they didn't want comics for kids, they wanted more engaging material (as the comics were written at the time.)

This isn't to say they should be pushing Marvel Knights or MAX, but why not titles like Astonishing X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four, and Amazing Spider-Man?

thunder5x · 03-02-2005, 12:51 PM

Holy crap! Finally someone did something intelligent. You want to save comics you have to make them available, especially to kids. You can't buy, what you can't find. When I was growing up I bought most of my comics at the local 7-11. Great news for Marvel and hopefully DC and Image will follow. My only question is what took you so long?
Mike

JAINITZ · 03-02-2005, 12:51 PM

7-11 is responsible for keeping me into comics while growing up. My town didn't have a specialty shop, so 7-11 fed my need. More exposure for any comic company is good. 7-11 + more exposure + Slurpee = GOOD FOR EVERYBODY.

Jai

Gladiator X · 03-02-2005, 12:52 PM

HELL YEAH!!!!!

This is awesome news!When I was a kid one of my favorite things was to hit the local 7-11 for a Slurpee and some comics.I loved that no matter where we went,if there was a 7-11 then I knew I could find some comics.

This is the kinda stuff that needs to be done to get kids readin' comics.

Now if they were only 25 cents again..........

Justin M. Campbell · 03-02-2005, 12:54 PM

Hrm. Marvel Adventures, Ultimate Marvel, & the marque books? Good move.

tralfaz · 03-02-2005, 12:55 PM

yaaaay, comics at the 7-11... now i can buy comics while im drunk and/or high at 3 am in the morning buying slim jims

cncoyle · 03-02-2005, 12:57 PM

Now all they need to do is start printing digest-sized comics on newsprint (not unlike Archie) and I won't have anything left to complain about!

AllAboutMe · 03-02-2005, 01:01 PM

Well it is about time! Yeah, growing up, riding the Huffy to 7-11 and spending that huge allowance on "Still Only 35 cents" comics and icees (and what was better than getting a cherry and cola icees in a Black Panther keeper cup?) was the life!
Marvel Adventures: Great idea for 7-11. Obviously Marvel can't put every title in every store, so it is natural that Ultimate titles will be there and stuff like Uncanny, Amazing, Cap, Hulk, FF...the basics. Hopefully they will be able to push titles that need the extra outlets more and appeal to a more diverse crowd such as Runaways, the upcoming Machine Teen, She-hulk...books that need the boost more than the best selling books.
Great work!

Moonbeam · 03-02-2005, 01:01 PM

Smart business move.

Man, I admit I fear for the future of comics shops in a way ... but this is the right move to reach kids. Great news.

toolverine · 03-02-2005, 01:04 PM

SWEET! Hopefully, this will benefit Marvel and comic books in general.

Zadillo · 03-02-2005, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Moonbeam
Smart business move.

Man, I admit I fear for the future of comics shops in a way ... but this is the right move to reach kids. Great news.

I think the comic shop would still be the way to tailor to a lot of different tastes, etc. I don't think a spinner rack at a 7-11 with a few comics is going to replace the comic shops. Frankly, if I ran a comic shop i would welcome this news.............. get more people to try out comics, and then go in search of the local comic shop to buy more.

I hope they do include a nice range of titles, but just seeing them get into 7-11 again is very nice. I remember picking up comics at 7-11 back when I was a kid, and it definitely seems smart.

I remember buying some comic that was a collection of stories.......... had a wolverine story in it, a dr. strange story in it, and a third story (I don't remember who the character was, but she looked a lot like the DC character Vixen).

-Zadillo

Mike Cruz · 03-02-2005, 01:09 PM

What the hell took so long to come this conclusion? I think its a great idea!! I can only hope that DC and perhaps some Image titles could do the same thing.

-Mike

Bagheera · 03-02-2005, 01:09 PM

Now start movin 'em into EBGames and GameStop...

dollman · 03-02-2005, 01:17 PM

I think this is a business neutral move. For those of us who actually started collecting comics by hitting all the 7-Elevens and drugstores in our neighborhood, I think we're viewing this as a positive thing based more on nostalgia then business sense.

And don't get me wrong, I have very fond memories of collecting comics the pre-comic shop days. Since comics were low priority with most corner stores, collecting a complete run was never a guarantee. I logged a lot of miles riding from store to store, just to make sure my collection was complete.

But...the low priority that convenience stores placed on comics always bother me too. And it wasn't just the missed issues, but the terrible conditions that most of their copies were in due to the spindly rack.

Overall it doesn't hurt to have more exposure. But I don't see this return to 7-11 will have any significant impact.

Winteriscoming · 03-02-2005, 01:17 PM

My first comic was from a gas station. This, my friends, is how you get comics into the hands of kids and how you can get them hooked.

I also like that they are going to be selling actual comic books, and not trades, and more B&Ns...

I love my local comic shop, but we really need to get younger people reading comics and they need to be placed where they are.

GOSD · 03-02-2005, 01:17 PM

Not funny.

holtom2000 · 03-02-2005, 01:17 PM

Oh, thank heaven...

Travel Exiter · 03-02-2005, 01:19 PM

It would be nice if they tried to initiate a price reduction plan with this movement.
Expansion is always good but when your product is overpriced for the target audience it doesnt add up to good economics

I assume the book(s) they getting to the chain are on the lower end of the price range. Anything over 1.99 really is too much to ask from someone in a convienent store (even though the candy bars are about that price

)

UX-Gal · 03-02-2005, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Overall it doesn't hurt to have more exposure. But I don't see this return to 7-11 will have any significant impact.

Teenage boy goes inside a convinience store. He has 5 bucks and wants to get a snack. While he is deciding, a nice graphic catches his eye. It's an Amazing Spider-Man comic book with Doctor Octupus. He really liked Spider-Man 2, he even owns it on DVD, so he decides to leaf through it. He is stunned at the computer colored art and the story looks interesting. He decides to buy it.

After reading the comic, he can't wait to see what happens next month. So he comes back next month. And then next month.

Suddenly he realizes that if he goes into the local comic shop, he can get backissues and understand better what is going on. Or maybe he asks his dad to buy him a suscription. Or maybe he gets on the internet and discovers the world of Spider-Man fansites and comic community forums like these.

Bam. You just won yourself a reader.

The objective of putting the comics out there will not be outstanding sales, but catching new readers. After that, the new readers can get more sofisticated and buy their copies on-line, through suscriptions or at their local comic shops.

innocentboy · 03-02-2005, 01:31 PM

excellent!
this can only end good for us readers!

thepoet · 03-02-2005, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by adamcasey
Good news: Comics back in stores.

Bad news: Marvel Adventures? As has been anecodately stated elsewhere, when people were kids, they didn't want comics for kids, they wanted more engaging material (as the comics were written at the time.)

This isn't to say they should be pushing Marvel Knights or MAX, but why not titles like Astonishing X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four, and Amazing Spider-Man?

What kid wants to read about a 30-year-old science teacher Spider-Man whose dead ex-girlfriend boinked his arch-enemy? They're better off with the Marvel Adventures or Ultimate Marvel version.

Agent69 · 03-02-2005, 01:32 PM

I am glad to read this. I can still remember, as a kid, walking down the street to the 7-11 and picking up comics. I been reading them ever since. Also, I agree with targeting younger readers with these comics, as older readers would probably go to a comic store anyway.

I am also glad to see the Barnes & Noble plan getting expanded. I work part time at B&N it saddens me that the only comics my store carries is a bunch of softcover reprints that do not even deserve to be in the "graphic novel" section.

algertman · 03-02-2005, 01:32 PM

ABOUT TIME!

thunder5x · 03-02-2005, 01:34 PM

I think this is a great move. It won't change things for adults, but kids? It will expose them to something new and exciting. This will hopefully make them look for for other comics and naturally their local comic shop. Now they need to get them in drug stores and grocery stores. As far as keeping the prices down, they need to place more non-comic adds in there comics. If it means adding more pages, but keeping the story page count the same, so be it. It works wonders for Cosmo, Rolling Stone, Maxim, etc. It's a great start.
Mike