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Retailers still back Richard & Judy

15.08.08

Retailers have pledged to continue to support the "The Richard & Judy Show" Book Clubs and Summer Reads – despite predictions that it will shed over a million viewers when the show moves to UKTV this autumn. The current "R&J" programme – which aired its last Summer Read this week - pulls in around 1.5 million viewers in its afternoon slot on Channel 4.

Television insiders have said the new show, which will be featured in prime time on UKTV's new Watch channel, would struggle to hit a 500,000 figure.

Yet booksellers spoken to by The Bookseller said the book club strands had grown beyond viewer numbers. Nikki Crowther, W H Smith's controller for fiction, said: "I think its reached a point that [the book clubs] are totally outside the show. The 'Richard & Judy' brand is strong enough to carry the book promotion forward. Our customers really trust their recommendations."

Tesco's category manager David Cooke added: "The power is in the stickers on the books. When we put the books into our range, they sell before, and after, the programmes air."

The "R&J" promotions have had an enormous impact on the trade since being launched in January 2004. The 82 titles on the 10 series have shifted almost 26.5 million copies for a total retail value of £158m.

Blog: the R&J brand can grow

Media richard and judy Channel 4 Home

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By R.Appleton

Hmmm....Tesco's category manager David Cooke is right. The books sell before and after the programmes air. But he also should know that they sell many more copies after the programme airs. In which case, reduced viewing figures surely equals reduced sales? If, as Nikki Crowther suggests, the books are totally outside the show, maybe she can explain to me how each of the books in the Summer Read and Book Clubs since the show began all experience their highest sales during their week under the R&J/public eye? Although the brand may be strong enough to sell the shortlisted books, I fear sales figures will be much reduced

15 Aug 08 21:44

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By jez

The sales maybe come because the retailers tend to further promote those titles that feaytured that week thus driving sales. A quick poll of my friends (not exactly gallup I know) saw all those that have bought R and J titles saying they did so without ever having seen a book club slot in their life.

16 Aug 08 10:55

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By CB

To begin with I think the campaign did increase interest and bookbuyers, but they soon started selling themselves via their bookclub website and the supermarkets & chains jumped in with 'Richard & Judy' lost-leaders. The promotion has dropped off more recently along with their viewers?!?......

16 Aug 08 13:53

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By imatree

If the books sold in significant volumes because of the stickers then all selected titles would sell in roughly the same numbers. In fact one or two become huge bestsellers and others do much less well.There may be many reasons for this, but I'd suggest the strength of the endorsement on the programme was a big factor, and with a reduced audience there will be a big drop in sales from a UKTV slot.

18 Aug 08 09:44

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