On-sale date is the day a book, magazine, album, or film is released for sale. It is usually on Tuesdays and heavily promoted products have strict enforcement. Violating on-sale dates can result in hefty fines and penalties. Embargoed books are labeled and kept in staff-only areas. Access to products before on-sale dates is restricted and monitored. Random audits are conducted to ensure compliance.
An on-sale date is a publication term that refers to the date a particular book or magazine goes on sale. The term is also used by the record and film industries for new album and film releases. Sale dates commonly occur on Tuesdays in all three industries, although special items may be released on different dates. Part of the promotional process for many major books, films and albums includes on-sale date disclosure to encourage consumers to purchase the item on the day it is released.
Violating an on-sale date can come with hefty fines and other penalties, especially for more important products. If a store inadvertently and prematurely puts a product up for sale once, a company could be forgiving. Repeated incidents will result in all new releases being shipped after the on-sale date, to prevent the store from selling items early. As a result, the store’s business may suffer because the store doesn’t have the product when consumers want it. While companies aren’t concerned about minor releases, big products will come with strict enforcement of on-sale dates.
In publishing, books are marked as embargoed before they have reached their on-sale date. Most boxes with embargoed books come clearly labeled so that bookstores can set the boxes aside and open them when the books are cleared for sale. Embargo labels indicate the title of the book, the date it went on sale, and the penalties for putting books on sale early. Embargoed books are kept in staff-only areas to prevent the public from viewing them.
In some cases, heavy promotion accompanies a product release, which drives consumers to a fever pitch. The Harry Potter series, for example, has forcefully enforced on-sale dates, and many bookstores hold midnight parties so customers can start reading the books as soon as possible. Long lines often form for products, especially electronics, when a release date is scheduled. Heavily promoted products can cause a lot of stress for store owners and staff, due to the associated chaos that could require more staff and longer hours.
Access to products prior to the on-sale date is generally severely restricted. Manufacturers ensure that employees understand the seriousness of the sell-by date violation, and warehouses closely monitor their inventories. When stock is shipped to stores, it is tagged and usually stored in a secure area until the on-sale date arrives. Some companies, especially major publishers, conduct random audits of stores to make sure their on-sale dates aren’t being violated.
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