Comics and Graphic Novels

Payment Behaviour Analysis: comics and graphic novels Sector

As a senior business analyst specialising in UK commercial payment trends, I have conducted a thorough review of the payment behaviour demonstrated by 20 companies within the comics and graphic novels sector. To properly analyse the financial health and credit risk associated with this industry, it is essential to look beyond the headline figures and understand the variance in settlement times. The data reveals a sample that is moderately efficient but prone to volatility. The central tendency of the dataset highlights a disparity between the average and the median; whilst the median payment time stands at a respectable 38 days, the arithmetic mean is higher at 42.3 days. This divergence suggests a positive skew, where a minority of slow-paying entities are dragging the average upwards, masking the generally more reliable performance of the majority.

When we organise the data by payment speed bands, a clear picture of the sector’s operational rhythm emerges. The distribution is heavily weighted towards the ‘Fast’ and ‘Moderate’ bands, with 75% of the analysed companies settling their debts within 45 days. Specifically, 35% of the cohort pay within 30 days, and a further 40% pay between 31 and 45 days. This clustering around the 30-to-45-day mark is reinforced by an interquartile range of 19 days (spanning from 27 to 46 days). This indicates that the centre of the distribution is relatively stable, providing a degree of predictability for suppliers servicing this sector. However, creditors must realise that the standard deviation of 25.4 days is statistically significant. Such a high deviation implies that whilst the "typical" company pays reasonably well, the consistency of payment speeds across the broader sector is far from guaranteed.

A deeper examination of the performance breakdown and outliers uncovers substantial credit risks hidden within the tail of the distribution. Amongst the sample, we observe a worrying "Critical" segment, representing 5% of the total, with payment terms exceeding 90 days. The disparity between the fastest payer (13 days) and the slowest payer (136 days) is stark. This extreme range does not favour suppliers with tight cash flow constraints. Furthermore, the data indicates that 32.6% of payments are classified as 'late', and over 16% of invoices are settled beyond 60 days. Consequently, credit managers should not rely solely on the sector average when setting terms. The presence of such extreme outliers suggests that poor payment practices are not systemic but are rather specific to certain distressed or inefficiently managed entities within the group.

Finally, the geographical distribution of the sample heavily favours the capital, with 15 out of the 20 companies located in London. This concentration mirrors the UK’s broader economic landscape but suggests that the data may be skewed towards London-centric business practices. As we continue to specialise in sector-specific credit monitoring, it is prudent to conclude that whilst the comics and graphic novels sector generally honours terms within a standard commercial window, the risk of severe delinquency remains present. Suppliers are advised to incentivise early settlement to mitigate the risks posed by the minority of erratic payers identified in this analysis.