Tesco and WH Smith News turned the tables on the magazine publishers who have been threatening to report their exclusive distribution deal to the Office of Fair Trading. On Wednesday Tesco announced it had reported the magazine industry to the OFT, for failing shoppers in the UK, and also suggested the distribution system it had developed with WH Smith would benefit independent retailers. In a vitriolic attack on the current distribution system, Tesco director John Gilder-sleeve said: "The existing system is a disgrace. Some customers go without while elsewhere there's waste. "It's inefficient, out of date and ­ most importantly ­ it ignores customers' needs." He said Tesco and WH Smith had developed a centralised system where each sale of a magazine scanned at a till would be notified straight to WH Smith, enabling the wholesaler to maintain availability throughout and magazine's lifespan. The Periodical Publishers Association responded with a statement welcoming the involvement of the OFT. It said Tesco's move would force the closure of thousands of small retailers. {{NEWS }}

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