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US magazine subscriptions worse than Australia

Newsagents often complain about subcription offers in magazines, saying they undermine retail sales. I see subscriptions as a necessary part of the magazine supply model – as long the offer is not agressively pitched against newsagents.

Over the weekend I compared subscription offers for several Australian titles with US titles.  While our average subscriber discount is between 25% and 28%, in the US publications I looked at it ranges between 35% and 45%.

The one local exception of which I am aware is The Week – their subs discount is 60% off cover price.  I’d be concerned if larger Australian publishers discounted at this level.

While I am on subscriptions – I’d like publishers to offer a hybrid subscription which newsagents could sell – based on an upfront commitmenet for an in-store collection.  Using our putaway services we get to benefit from locked-in traffic and sell an overall higher priced item.

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