Get in the know.

Curious about the impact magazines have in your store? Wondering who’s buying, and what your consumer’s think about magazines? Looking for some facts to back your hunch that magazines are a good bet? We’ve pulled together some relevant data to answer your questions.

Category Facts: Magazines make the difference.

• Magazine readership is growing among all targets.
• More than 85% of Americans read magazines.
• Magazine readership grew over the last five years, with audience growth up more than all other media except the Internet.
• The average number of issues read by an adult increased 4% since 2004. For 25 – 34 year olds, the growth rate was 11.5%.
  Source: Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI)
• Magazines provide a $.58 true profit per unit. At a more than 50% higher profit than other frontend categories, magazines make the checkout more appealing for retailers. Books & Newspapers provide $.36 true profit per unit.
  Source: Willard Bishop Grocery Super Study, 2008
• Women ranked magazines #1 when asked “at the checkout in a store, what do you like to see there?” Meaning magazines make the checkout more appealing for consumers.
  Source: WSL Strategic Retail, Magazine Purchaser Survey, 2008

 

R.O.I. Facts: Magazines make business sense.

• Magazines have below average labor costs of 9% compared to the supermarket average of 11%. Magazines and books also produce gross profit margins of 34% compared to an average rate of 28% for other products in your store.
  Source: Magazine Publishers of America
  
• Magazines provide supermarkets with above-average gross profit margins.
  Source: The Kreisky Media Consultancy, LLC, Management Science Associates, 2002

 

Fixture Facts: Point of Sale points to R.O.I.

• Nearly half of all single-copy magazine purchases are made at supermarkets and supercenters, followed by bookstores, drugstores, discount stores, and terminals.
  Source: Harrington Associates, LLC, 2009

• On a per-unit basis, both Book-News and Magazines are more profitable than the average GM SKU. Devote your prime space to your most profitable category.

Source: Willard Bishop Grocery SuperStudy, 2008

 

Consumer Facts: Magazine buyers buy more.

• Magazine buyers purchase one-third more items per visit than those who don’t buy magazines.
  Source: The Kreisky Media Consultancy, LLC, Management Science Associates, 2002
• Magazines are #1 on the list of women’s favorite affordable self-indulgences.
  Source: MPA Retail Conference, 2008
• The median household income of frequent readers of magazines is nearly double that of heavy TV watchers. 
  Source: MRI Fall, 2006.
• Frequent readers of magazines are more likely to be affluent, educated, and professional than are heavy TV watchers.
  Source: MRI Fall, 2006.