I have just come back from the local Newsagent, 2 of them actually. I think I have just seen another sign of the tough times.
The Newsagents previously carried a good range of astronomy magazines: Astronomy; Aust Sky and Telescope; Sky At Night; Astronomy Now. They were in the Science and Technology Section with some of the electronics magazines.
Well, the range has now been reduced to just one - Aust Sky and Telescope, and it is no longer in the Science and Technology section.
Have a guess where? Astrology. Yes, ASTROLOGY.
I had a brief chat to the owner. He said he is just not selling astronomy mags much now, but the astrology magazines just keep walking out the door. He has about 5 different such mags.
Not really Darrell. As much as many here would like to bash Astrology, many people enjoy it. More so than Astronomy. Numbers talk - if 2% of the population is into astrology, and only 0.1% into Astronomy, then astrology magazines will sell more, it's just market behaviour.
At the very least though, he should move it back to science & technology, did he agree to do that? Did he say why they're not carrying the other magazines (probably zero sales).