Magazine Sales Up in Non-Traditional Media Outlets
Since supermarket sales are down for magazines, wholesalers are finding alternative venues where the demand for magazines is strong. Places such as Costco and Sam’s Club and other clubs are a great place to sell monthlies. And dollar stores, like Dollar General, sell a good amount celebrity weeklies. One reason magazines tend to do well in these places is because clubs rotate titles through their racks, recognizing that most copies are sold within the first several days of hitting stands. This allows places like Costco to sell around 140 titles in only 50 pockets. While this is excellent for the retail category, wholesalers and distributors agree that alternative-channel sales won’t make a big difference in overall newsstand. MediaWeek (Mar. 3, 2008)