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Launch of the week

As we near the end of a momentous year, consumers are wondering what’s in store for 2019. This one-off edition from The Economist looks ahead with a global view of current and cultural affairs

The World in 2019

On sale 22 November

Frequency one shot

Price £9.99

Distributor Marketforce

Display with The Economist, Time

The Economist is publishing its special annual analysis title for the 33rd consecutive year, looking forward to 2019 through the lens of the year that’s about to end.

The World in 2019 will look at the prospects of the Trump administration with a new Congress, the reality of Brexit, and elections in India, Indonesia, Nigeria and across Europe, alongside technology disruptions from AI and China.

The magazine also looks at space travel 50 years after the moon landings and the status of culture 500 years since Leonardo da Vinci, creating a general-interest round-up that is expected to sell well.

Christmas Bag of Goodies

On sale out now

Frequency irregular

Price £3.99

Distributor Marketforce

Display with CBeebies, CBeebies Art, Fun to Learn Bag of Fun

  • This special seasonal pack from the creators of CBeebies includes gifts, puzzles and activities to keep children busy in December.
  • This bumper pack comes with two Christmas magazines, with surprise gifts themed around Paw Patrol, The Grinch and Elf Pets.

The Oldie

On sale out now

Frequency monthly

Price £4.50

Distributor Seymour

Display with Radio Times, Empire, TV Times

  • The TV-themed edition of this culture magazine is dedicated to old series and shows, and includes behind-the-scenes looks and interviews related to some of the most influential programmes in the UK.
  • The December issue has a 25p increase in cover price, and comes with 32 extra pages of book reviews and a free 2019 cartoon calendar.

Match of the Day 

On sale 20 November

Frequency weekly

Price £4.99

Distributor Frontline

Display with FourFourTwo, When Saturday Comes, World Soccer

  • This football magazine celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2018, and continues to target young fans of the sport by including analysis, news and interviews.
  • This week’s issue is the first of two Christmas specials, and comes with an inflatable football, Lionel Messi mask, Match Attax cards, FIFA Ultimate Team cards, and red and yellow referee cards.

Royal Life

On sale out now

Frequency bimonthly

Price £4.50

Distributor Intermedia

Display with Majesty, Hello

  • This women’s interest magazine is focused on the royal family, and includes news and photographs of the latest happenings at Buckingham Palace. 
  • The last issue of the year looks at Princess Eugenie’s wedding, the Duke of Sussex’s trip to Australia and a retrospective of 2018.

Yours

On sale 20 November

Frequency fortnightly

Price £1.99

Distributor Frontline

Display with Look, Heat

  • This women’s interest magazine contains advice and articles about lifestyle, food and celebrities.
  • The Christmas edition is a bumper issue, featuring tips about saving for Christmas shopping and 32 pages of puzzles, alongside a free membership to Slimming World, worth up to £35.

Munich Cats

On sale out now

Frequency monthly

Price £3.99

Distributor Seymour

Display with Frozen, Girl Talk, This Is

  • A monthly activity comic for girls aged six to 10, Munch Cats capitalises on the Japanese ‘cute’ Kawaii drawing style with stories and puzzles.
  • The Christmas special includes six greeting cards alongside stickers, gift tags and wrapping paper.

Welsh Football

On sale out now 

Frequency monthly

Price £3

Distributor Direct

Specialist choice

Mark Dudden,
Albany News,Cardiff

Who buys it?

Mostly men in their 30s with an interest in the local leagues.

How do you promote it?

On top of the counter, on its own display.

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Marcello Perricone, magazines reporter

My week in magazines

Don’t miss the end-of-year opportunities

We are two weeks away from December, and magazine publishers are kicking the presses into overdrive. 

Here at RN, we’ve been absolutely flooded with new magazine submissions, as special seasonal editions of everything from Yours to The Economist are being launched.

These issues have the potential to attract casual customers in addition to the loyal ones, as their special page counts and attractive covers do a great deal to encourage impulse purchases. 

They also serve as collectible issues for long-term readers, who tend to like to hang on to noteworthy editions.

As the hordes of special Christmas magazines flood the market, retailers should identify those titles that are the most relevant to their audiences, and display them as clearly as possible on the shelves and counters. 

Most titles also offer special incentives such as retrospectives or 2019 calendars, so make sure to promote these. 

The end of the year often means a general nationwide increase in spending, and retailers can capitalise on the festivities by selling special magazines and the gifts therein.