Tag Archives: pullbox

(New) Diamond “Re-Evaluates” its Online Services

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Just as (New) Diamond announces that they’re moving their Previews catalogue to a digital only offering, and with it the potential for ordering that opens, they have now told retailers they are “re-evaluating” its online services such as ComicSuite and Previews Pullbox.

No one should be surprised by this announcement.

ComicSuite is a suite of tools for retailers’ point-of-sale system that’s geared specifically for comic shops. It was built to take advantage of Diamond’s data to help with ordering and re-ordering as well as manage customer subscriptions.

Previews Pullbox launched in June 2021 and was a service that allowed comic shop customers to manager their own preorders and subscriptions. It was initially announced in February 2018 but suffered delays. In the initial announcement it said it had 300 comic shops using it and over 17,000 customers. It allowed them to use the Previews website to place orders directly with their local comic shop. It’s unknown how much it was used since its launch.

With upcoming Previews going digital only, it provided a great opportunity to integrate with both making ordering by customers and shops even easier.

Specifically, for shops that are still using ComicSuite:

  • The point-of-sale system will continue to run but automation of subscription management from the web and store will cease to function as well as reporting shortages/damages, and general ordering.
  • Stores can still use the point-of-sale system but will need to get support from Retail Hero’s Retailer Management Hero (RMH) or a third party.
  • RMH might cease to function if the user license or software license expires.

In short, retailers still using this needs to find alternatives and fortunately there are alternatives that have been on the market such as Comic Hub (hell we easily built our own when I ran a shop back in 2000).

It’s no surprise that Diamond’s digital tools are degrading as key staff that handled it have left the company. Add in short pickings due to publishers halting their shipments to (new) Diamond over lack of payment, and it goes intot he pile of good ideas in the comic industry executed poorly and dying a much needed death.

(thank you Ryan Higgins for the tip)

Free Comic Book Day Gets Sponsorship Partnerships with Coca-Cola and Pullbox

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Free Comic Book Day 2021

Free Comic Book Day (FCBD), one of the comic book industry’s most beloved and anticipated annual events being held this year on August 14, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. To commemorate, Diamond Comic Distributors has announced additional plans including a social media campaign and sponsorship partnerships with Coca-Cola and PREVIEWSworld PULLBOX.

Earlier this month, in celebration of Free Comic Book Day’s 20th anniversary, FCBD launched the #FindYourStory social campaign. The campaign encourages readers to explore new worlds, revisit their favorites, and discover new destinations in the pages of a comic book. The cornerstone of the campaign is exclusively designed, art deco style, virtual posters that highlight locales featured in some of the FCBD titles available on August 14. Fans are encouraged to share their all-time favorite and newly discovered comic book destinations on social media and use the hashtag, #FindYourStory.

PULLBOX and Coca-Cola have also joined FCBD’s anniversary celebrations this year as sponsors. Coca-Cola will serve as the Presenting Sponsor and be featured on printed promotional materials and branded merchandise distributed to local comic shops in advance of the event. PULLBOX, which launched earlier this month, is a new service that allows comic shop customers to easily manage their preorders and subscriptions online in partnership with their local comic book shop.

Previously announced plans for the anniversary celebration include a specially designed anniversary logo and commemorative artwork from fan-favorite creator, Skottie Young. Young has created a one-of-a-kind design emphasizing the power of imagination and the endless possibilities of comic storytelling. The design will serve as the commemorative t-shirt and poster for FCBD 2021 and will be available for purchase at participating local comics shops.

With fifty comic book titles that range from superheroes to movies and video games, to beloved franchises, and all-ages favorites, Free Comic Book Day 2021 is poised to attract readers and fans of all tastes to participating local comic shops on August 14.

Diamond’s Pullbox Launches on June 7

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Previewsworld Pullbox

Diamond Comic Distributors has announced June 7, 2021 as the official launch of PREVIEWSworld PULLBOX to consumers, a new service that allows comic shop customers a better way to manage their preorders and subscriptions with their local comic book specialty shop. PULLBOX was announced in February 2018 and “slated for release later” that Spring.

The service, which is currently wrapping up beta testing, already boasts an impressive list of existing users. There are currently more than 300 comic shops and 17,000+ consumers using PULLBOX to manage their weekly orders. PULLBOX users are managing more than 225,000 subscriptions on the platform, which supports the full list of products available Diamond’s PREVIEWS catalog and beyond, including fan-favorites Image Comics, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Dynamite Entertainment, BOOM! Studios, VIZ Media, Funko, Kotobukiya, Mezco Toyz, Diamond Select Toys, and many more!

PULLBOX allows fans to use the PREVIEWSworld website to place orders directly with their local comic shop. A suite of easy-to-use tools allows consumers to synch orders with participating local comic shops, manage preorders & subscriptions, place special orders, keep a wish list, and track weekly purchases. It also provides customers with e-mail alerts for order confirmations and when items are available for pickup.

PULLBOX will officially launch to consumers June 7. Consumers interested in setting up a PULLBOX account can visit PREVIEWSworld.com/PULLBOX starting June 7.

Diamond Comic Distributors Launches a Digital Pullbox

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Something that’s long past overdue is finally here as Diamond Comic Distributors has announced Pullbox, cloud-based softwarethat allows comic shop customers to preorder titles and products from their local comic shop. The software fills a gab and attempts to help solve something that has plagued the direct market, the difficulty in ordering products.

Developed from the ground up to help customers place orders with their local comic shop, Pullbox handles monthly comic subscriptions, preorders for upcoming titles and products, and special orders all from Diamond’s consumer pop-culture website, PREVIEWSworld.com, while also providing comic shop retailers with the back-end tools necessary to manage their pull-and-hold customer base.

The new cloud-based software is part of a broader strategy by Diamond to create an easy way to funnel orders to local comic book shops and make the preorder process a much more viable and vital process for the entire comics industry.

Pullbox has a variety of included features to help customers order and purchase from comic book shops:

Manage Preorders. Add titles to your monthly pull-and-hold list, order additional titles and products from that month’s PREVIEWS preorder catalog.

Synch with Your Participating Local Comic Shop. Powered by comicshoplocator.com, customers can choose a local participating comic shop and synch with them to send their monthly preorders, special orders, and more.

Place Special Orders or Keep a Wishlist. Forgot to order a title or saw something new coming in to comic shops that you want to purchase? Customers can use PULLBOX to place a special order with their comic book shop to purchase. They can also keep a Wishlist of other items and then send it to their retailer to see if they have any items in their store.

Enhanced Search and Ordering. Customers will be able to access a more advanced search at PREVIEWSworld.com that allows them to search the complete database of items offered by Diamond and place orders with their local comic shop.

Track Your Weekly Purchases. Customers will get additional tools to track which titles and products they ordered are releasing that week to stores, see future week’s orders, and more.

Retail Functions. Retailers will be get a full suite of functions available from the Diamond Retailer Services website: Back-end approval of new PullboxCustomers, Alerts to new orders, Set ordering dates, and Upload your own ordering requirements and guidelines. Retailers can synch orders with their initial orders online, or export orders into ComicSuite or other POS software.

Comic-Suite Integration. Seamlessly integrate PULLBOX Pull List, Subscription and Special Orders directly into ComicSuite for approval and ordering, manage new pull-and hold customers, synch customer data and individual orders.

Pullbox is slated for release later this Spring, and will be available for free from PREVIEWSworld.com to comic shop customers. Retailer pricing and additional retailer information will be released in the coming months.