The two types of magazines American publishers seem to be most excited about at the moment have about as much in common as the red states and the blue ones. On the one hand they’re hot for controlled-circulation luxury mags targeted at only the very richest (if you’re not making a half mil a year you probably can’t even buy one), as reported in this Monday NYT article.
But they’re also obsessed with reaching the Walmart crowd, using low-priced, totally unpretentious magazines aimed at busy moms who probably find the ideas in Martha and Real Simple too darn expensive. Time Inc. is publishing a down to earth women’s title called All You to be sold exclusively in Walmart, Hachette is doing a similar one called For Me, and Hearst just announced it will launch a cheapo weekly called Quick & Simple. Read more at Ad Age.
All of which can lead those of us who neither make $500k a year 
nor ever set foot in a Walmart wonder if there will soon be no magazines left for us. One of the most general-interest magazines out there, Vanity Fair, is struggling with sagging newsstand numbers. Their attempted solution? Eastern european models in bikinis (obviously).
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Media Bistro got an interview with Absolute magazines Michael Grossman.
http://www.mediabistro.com/articles/cache/a3905.asp
March 8th, 2005 at 9:47 pm
From Luxist:
Just as a flood of new luxury magazines hit the market, CNN/Money tries to be a buzzkill suggesting that the rise in luxury spending has reached its peak. The article cites a Deloitte & Touche research study that states that increased tax burdens and a less statospheric real estate market will keep luxury spending in check. They also predict that the improved wages will benefit the low and middle-income shoppers. The rise may taper off but luxury isn’t going anywhere.
http://www.luxist.com/entry/1234000903035211/
March 9th, 2005 at 8:59 pm