Speaking at the Magazine Publishers of America conference last month about the Barnes and Noble magazine strategy, Peter Kreisky Chairman, The Kreisky Media Consultancy, Inc. said:
Here are the key elements of their magazine strategy – as I see them. First, B&N has designed its magazine section as a major in-store destination to enhance customers’ in-store experience. The section is always to the right of the front door, close to the café, where it will encourage browsing and lingering. It has proprietary, high quality, fixtures. B&N offers a broad and deep selection tailored to each store (between 1700 and 3,000 titles per store chosen from a base of 5000). It also aggressively cross-merchandises: computer magazines next to computer books; cooking magazines next to cookbooks, and so on. It also uses highly visible promotion fixtures.
Kreisky is an expert in his field. The complete text of his speech can be found here and is a must read for newsagents and indeed anyone in the magazine retail space. His company does excellent work in the magazine space and it would be wonderful to be able to draw on that expertise here. I am certain he would have research data and opinions which would help us boost our magazine sales.
Here is another quote from his speech to those attening the MPA conference.
We must make sure that we choose the high road and – with your support – transform magazines from just another Display Category to high value Department, overflowing with vitality and customer connections.