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Writer's pictureNick Saward

What's The Big Issue - Vendor Agreement

Updated: Oct 13, 2023


The Big Issue uses vendors to sell their magazines. "Vendor" is often a generic term, used for suppliers of industries from retail sales to manufacturers to city organizations. The term generally applies only to the immediate seller, or the organization that is paid for the goods, rather than to the original manufacturer or the organization performing the service if it is different from the immediate supplier. Suppliers are generally the first supply chain entity where products and services originate. A vendor purchases products from the supplier and resells them to potential customers and consumers. Vendors can be found throughout many business models because paying a vendor is sometimes cheaper than buying directly from a supplier.


In the case of The Big Issue, the vendor offers the magazine to customers for sale, and is the last link of the process economic production chain. The Big Issue will aim to provide a quality magazine to sell, and also assist people where possible (if someone has a disability, they will attempt to make reasonable adjustments to their needs). The Big Issue supports every vendor to run their own mini business, buying and selling the Big Issue magazine each week. Big Issue magazines are sold to vendors for £2 and then customers purchase from the vendors at £4, this allows vendors to earn a legitimate income whilst gaining valuable social and transferable business and financial skills.


In order to become a vendor, they will need to go to their local office or call 0207 526 3445 to sign up, and then they will be given five free magazine and a pitch location, so they can start earning straight away. The Big Issue will also provide thirty free magazines over the first four weeks. Working as a vendor is fully flexible, so vendors can sell on their pitches any time of day, working their own hours, as their own boss to earn as much as they can. All they need is themselves, their pitch and The Big Issues' magazines. The Big Issue helps to support news vendors to get off to a fast start and be as successful as possible, therefore they provide guidance in sales coaching, health, finances or provide new vendors 30 free magazines to kickstart working as a vendor (allocated over a 6 week period).



As a vendor of The Big Issue, there are a set of stipulations that they must follow when trying to sell their copies of the magazine. Firstly, a vendor is only allowed to sell the most recent copy of the magazine at the time they are selling. As well as this, they must display their Big Issue identification at all times whilst trying to sell copies, and only near an authorized pitch. The Big Issue is adamant on representing their vendors and themselves in the best way possible, so their vendors are not permitted to look as if they are under the influence of anything like drugs or alcohol. Also, they can't short-change people, meaning they must always give the right amount of change if needed. By breaking any of these rules, The Big Issue can choose not to give you copies to sell, either temporarily or permanently. They insists that vendors are not to be seen as employees, however, The Big Issue also says that they are required to pass on information about you to agencies like the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) and the HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs). Vendors must also consent to their information being shared from The Big Issue Group to The Big Issue Foundation, as well as any other 3rd party agencies to be able to asses a vendor's needs.


The Big Issue, a bastion of the British High- Street, was founded 29 years ago and is a social enterprise which exists to dismantle poverty by creating opportunities, through self-help, social trading and business solutions. Vendors come from a variety of backgrounds and face a range of issues, but all are experiencing the effects of poverty. By giving those who need jobs a place to work for them, The Big Issue now has over 200 million copies of the magazine sold by over 100,000 vulnerable people.



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