Panini Comics announced price increases (again!) in incoming months ! !

With a press release on its social pages, Panini Comics announced an increase in the prices of its comics expected for the next few months; the reasons should be linked to the absence of raw materials created by the Pandemic emergency; more details of the announcement should be available on the next Italian Preview, called Anteprima, co-published by Panini distribution arm, Pan Distribuzione and manga (plus Valiant and some French BD) publisher Star Comics distribution arm, Star Shop.  Meanwhile, here's the message released by the Panini publisher:

"Dear readers,
the situation of great difficulty of the last two years has determined, as you now well know, a series of problems related to the procurement of raw materials, as well as significant increases in paper prices and more generally in the production costs, now no longer sustainable, of our books and comics. These circumstances will lead to the price increase of some of our publications, starting from the next months.
In addressing this heavy wave of commodity price increases, however, we will be careful to limit the extent of these increases as much as possible."

Nowadays in Italy very few Panini Marvel (and Dc Comics too) titles are sold newstands, mainly in the 32 pages (only one story + a lot of advertisements and one/two articles)/ € 3,00 format, like Iron Man, Spider-Man (this one sometimes changes in a 48 pages / 5 € format  and even a 88 pages / 7,90 € format recently (maybe the highest price a "floppy" has ever had here on Italian newstands); plus there is the anthology title called Marvel Miniserie (mini-series like Secret Invasion, Empire) who is currently publishing the Inferno storyline in the 64/72 pages -> 6/7 € format.



I think a similar situation will occur in several countries...
Here's the link to one of the several websites which wrote about this news:
https://www.meganerd.it/panini-comics-annuncia-un-nuovo-aumento-di-prezzi/

Barry_Allen wrote:I think a similar situation will occur in several countries...

I hate to say this, but comics are a niche market, and a luxury item. I think given inflation everywhere, it is being assumed we're willing to pay more. Or at least enough of the core market is. I am never surprised when prices go up in the US.

Mbast1 wrote:
I hate to say this, but comics are a niche market, and a luxury item.

These days it seems true; when I see all these Omnibus priced at $ 125.00 - $ 150.00 I always think: "Who will buy them? Then I see all these discussions on a big Italian distributor Discord platform and many people say they're buying them; apart from cost, I find them difficult to be read, in a practical way!  

Mbast1 wrote:I think given inflation everywhere, it is being assumed we're willing to pay more. Or at least enough of the core market is. I am never surprised when prices go up in the US.

I have heard about the inflation rising up toward 7% in the States, here in Europe officially we should be now at lower levels but with all these increases in fuel of last months and therefore in current bills, prices are rising up rapidly and many goods cannot be found because retailers no longer order the previous quantities to avoid having too much unsold items in stock, still to be paid...