*Retailers'perception is that magazines are irrelevant to the rest of the store.The reality:magazine purchase is associated with incremental sales throughout the store.Recipes lead to the produce aisle.Beauty tips lead to the cosmetics aisle.Product reviews lead to equipment purchases.Advertisements and coupons drive product trial and repeat purchase.
*Finally,retailers'perception is that the magazine category is a“no-growth zone”.Not true.The reality is that there are many rising thermals,magazine segments that have been exhibiting very impressive growth.
Here are some of those segments:
-Teen Girls,
-Hispanic,
-Gamers,
-Modern Men's Lifestyle,
-Shopping.
There are many growth stories to be proud of.
6.Shift Paradigm
We are aiming for a fundamental shift in magazine retailing.We need to change the magazine experience in retail stores from Display...to Destination.
Our goals are crystal clear.
1.Stop magazines competing for display space with commodity categories,
2.Reposition magazines as a destination department that drives customer traffic,enhances customer satisfaction,and strengthens store loyalty,
3.Promote the entertainment value of magazines,
4.Establish the magazine department as a high value mainstay of every supermarket.
Destination Department
We have research to support this shift.We know that magazine departments generate store traffic...and provide entertainment.
In best practice supermarkets,75%of magazine purchasers surveyed pre-planned their visit to the magazine section before entering the store.Of these,80%entered looking for a specific title or type of magazine.The same piece of research showed that for every magazine purchaser,there are as many as six customers who browse but do not buy.