Stack is a fascinating business, one we newsagents should take note of. Stack costs £7 per month. For that they will send you a different independent special interest magazine each month. It is a fascinating model, one that I think could work here in Australia.
Their website is excellent, pricing good and pitch compelling. They have done an excellent job creating an offer for people who love the magazine medium and those who buy gifts for those people.
The challenge for us is that if they get this right and if it travels further afield, the specialisation of our businesses in the rich magazine space will be challenged. While they do ship internationally today, it is not obvious and not easily found through a Google search in Australia, yet.
The CEO explains the motivation behind developing the service:
I started Stack because I think people want something better to read. There are piles of fantastic magazines out there just waiting to be discovered, and Stack makes it cheaper and easier than ever for people to find and enjoy them.
Finding quality independent magazines can be difficult – most people don’t live near a great magazine shop, and there are so many options online that it’s easy to get lost amongst the pixels. Stack acts as a filter, selecting the best independent titles and supplying them at the best price via our subscription service and our weekly Sampler offers.
Their pitch on their about page is excellent:
It’s a surprise!
Every month that big brown envelope will thump onto your doormat, containing one of the world’s best independent magazines. You never know what you’re going to get next, but you do know it will be a beautiful, intelligent magazine you probably wouldn’t otherwise have come across.It’s top quality
The magazines we send out mix quality writing with cutting-edge design and the most exacting production values to guarantee that you’ll want to keep them on your shelf long after you’ve finished reading.It’s great value for money
We want the best magazines to be available to all so we keep our prices low – a subscription to Stack costs £7 per month, or even less if you sign up for an annual plan. Most Stack titles cost £10 or more in the shops, so you could have them delivered to your door while saving more than 30% off the cover price.It’s totally up to date
We only send out the current issue of any magazine, so you can be sure you’re right up to date with the latest independent publishing. Every delivery comes with a letter from me, explaining why I picked the magazine and telling you more about it, giving you an extra glimpse into the world of independent publishing.And it makes a great gift
Buying Stack as a gift subscription is a great way to tell somebody you think they’re an interesting person who looks beyond the mainstream. Sign up for somebody else and we’ll start you off with a gift card you can give to them before the magazines arrive.
Of course, this risk of writing about this here is that it pitches Stack to indie magazine publishers who are looking for other routes to market. I’m okay with that as Stack is a sampler offer. The more people buying special interest magazines the better for us.