Diamond Comic Distributors is closing one of its two distribution centers, cutting regional drop points, and consolidating carriers, the company announced. The change is “part of an ongoing evaluation of operation,” the company said.
Diamond lost its primary distribution role for Image Comics last fall (see “Image Goes with Lunar“), the fifth of its onetime top five suppliers to make the move since early 2020. This has substantially reduced the volume flowing through Diamond’s warehouses (see “Where Does Image Loss Put Diamond’s Business?“), likely making these new moves necessary.
The biggest change is the elimination of Diamond’s warehouse in Plattsburgh, New York, which was sited there for its proximity to the U.S. entry point for comics from Canadian printers. Diamond will handle all shipments from its Olive Branch, Mississippi distribution center after November 20, 2024, which will be the last shipments from Plattsburgh.
Diamond is also eliminating a number of regional drop points, including Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, and all Canadian centers, effective November 27. U.S. retailers formerly served by those drop points will be converted to Diamond’s 3% standard flat rate shipping (see “Diamond Announces Flat Freight Charges“).
Diamond will use UPS, FedEx, Canpar, USPS, and LTL carriers for larger shipments, as its carriers going forward.
Source: ICV2
