Sale or return?

One of the advantages of being back at university is that I am mixing with a much more varied bunch of people than I ever did in the Wine Trade. And that includes people who do not have a clue about the realities of business, something which is alternatively refreshing and exasperating.

At a recent Publishing Lecture, one of my fellow students asked the visiting speaker why publishers had to take all the financial risks involved in bringing a new book out. He then asked why the burden could not be shared more equally with the retailers. Referring specifically to the sale or return arrangements that seem prevalent in the industry, he suggested all publishers band together to denounce the practice and refuse to continue with it.

I was hopping in my seat as the speaker very patiently answered that yes, it was certainly a good idea but difficult to put in practice and risky, should one company decide not to play ball. He added that, shocking as these practices may appear to newcomers, they had more or less become standard and that the massive power of the retailers made it unlikely they would be abandoned.

That very polite reply compared very favourably with what I could have said, which would have been more along the lines of "Welcome to the real world, mate".

Apart from seasonal gift boxes, sale or return deals have so far been largely spared to the wine category. And I wonder why as other outrageous requests have become commonplace over the years. Is it because of the complications generated by the excise duty, should the wine have to be sent back to its country of origin? Because of the distances and shipping costs involved?

Or is it yet to come?

After twenty years (ill?) spent in the Wine Trade, Anne Burchett is currently studying for an MA in Creative Writing and writing a novel set - unsurprisingly - in the world of wine.

• Harpers Says...