Australian Newsagency Blog

Newsagents are being invited by the ANF to participate in a trial selling magazine subscriptions.  I am told they are trying to get in before Australia Post rolls out iSubscribe subscriptions in Post Offices.
I am frustrated that ACP Magazines and Pacific Magazines have been slow to engage with newsagents on the subscription opportunity.  We should […]

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I was disappointed to see the subscription promotion on the cover of the latest issue of Run For Your Life magazine (out yesterday).
Their $9.95 promotion looked odd next to our $7.95 barcode label.
While I understand the role subscriptions play in the sales mix for a publisher, it is wrong that they use our generosity of […]

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Digital-magazine publisher Zinio released an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch this week, meaning you can now read electronic editions of magazines on the go.
Zinio includes embedded videos in some magazine titles, links, article sharing, and other electronic facilities that print can’t match. Through Zinio, consumers can purchase individual issues and longer term subscriptions […]

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B&T is reporting this afternoon that Australia Post is standing firm on its price increase (3.6% for magazines) despite publisher and printer representations yesterday.  magazine publishers ought to engage with newsagents on a hybrid model which does not use Australia Post.  Make newsagencies the collection point.  The consumer saves on the cover price and we […]

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Publishers are rallying to vent anger at the price hike announced by the Government owned Australia Post for postage of newspapers and magazines.  Meadibiznet has more on this including a letter sent from D&D mailing Services on this matter.
In addition to lobbying Australia Post to reverse their decision, publishers could engage with newsagents on an […]

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Hearst magazines has run a One Day Sale, offering a bunch of magazines for US $5 for a year-long subscription.  This is an amazing deal for titles like: Cosmopolitan (6 issues), Country Living, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s BAZAAR, House Beautiful, Marie Claire, O, The Oprah Magazine (6 issues), Seventeen, SmartMoney and Town & Country.  Hearst […]

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As a reward for buying a DVD from Amazon.com last week, I received an email from the company saying I qualify for three amazing magazine subscription deals:
Thanks to your recent DVD order, you now qualify for a $1 subscription to Rolling Stone (1-year), Men’s Journal (1-year) or Us Weekly (2-month). You can purchase individually […]

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Jamie Oliver has launched Jamie Magazine, a bi-monthly, in the UK exclusively through the WH Smith chain of newsagencies. 
While I am sure Jamie Magazine will be successful, I do wonder whether the market needs another food title.  For newsagents, space is an issue as well as capital.  each new title requires shelf space which is not […]

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It is a good move by the publisher to make the first issue The Week magazine available with a generous reward to newsagents - 100% GP.  The value of this to our channel will be clear when we see how strong their pitch is for subscriptions in that first issue.

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I was disappointed to read a report in Brand Republic four days ago claiming that some UK publishers are offering steep discounts to counter a slide in retail sales.
To any Australian publishers contemplating such a move I would suggest active engagement with the newsagency channel. I am certain that better terms for newsagents where […]

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My bone today is with the Australian magazine subscription system. In short, it sux. While Eva Mendes is smouldering away on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar in my newsagent, she is nowhere within the vicinity of my mailbox… and I refuse to buy her in duplicate on account of waste. Last month, my Harper’s Bazaar […]

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I’ve noticed fine tuning of supply of Zoo Weekly since ACP magazines took over and while it may be coincidental, it is unfortunate. In one of my stores, Zoo fluctuates. Not having enough stock to co-locate - as is now the case due to recent supply cuts - means some weeks we are […]

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