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Why do most magazines get published at the end of the month?


Nigel Bunker

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I went into my newsagent yesterday morning to be told "I've got some magazines for you" and he put three on the counter. I paid up and went home but a thought went through my mind. Another one today and at least two more to come either tomorrow or next week.

Why do most magazines get published at the end of the month? The new Airfix mag is the exception to this rule.

If they wanted to do it when people are in funds, why not the first week of the month? And would sales increase if one or possibly two magazines were published each week? I am sure that when several come out together some people will have to choose as they can't afford to take them all due to weekly budget allowances.

It would be fascinating to hear from the editors - or perhaps we need to hear from the publishers?

Cheers

Nigel

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Marketing.

Get your mag out before your rivals, so you have a better chance of selling the mag. People expect the mags at the start of the month, if you walk in and find a rival mag in stock the week before, then you might buy that mag instead.

But of course everyone does it now so it's pretty pointless. It's also why some mags (PC mags etc) are about 2-3 months ahead. ie, PC format August will be available in june. :mental:

More to the point though, why do the vast majority come out on a thurs?

Neil

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The magazines that end up two months ahead tend to publish every 4 weeks so they have a 13th winter issue. With regards to the majority of magazines coming out at the end of the month, I guess it is because when a lot of people get paid and they are more likely to impulse purchase when they see a lot of money in the bank account.

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Roo Posted 27 June 2015 - 06:25 PM

With regards to the majority of magazines coming out at the end of the month, I guess it is because when a lot of people get paid and they are more likely to impulse purchase when they see a lot of money in the bank account.

Magazines come out in the last week of the month (or sometimes the week before). Now I get paid on 1st of the month (or 30th or 31st of the month preceeding depending on when the weekend occurs) as do a lot of people so by the last week in the month, money is tight which I guess is the same for most people. People generally have disposable income at the start of the month.

I'm still convinced sales of modelling magazines would increase if they were spread over the month.

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I'm still convinced sales of modelling magazines would increase if they were spread over the month.

Alas, your thinking is fundamentally flawed because you're using common sense and logic, both of which are in very short supply out there in the real world ... :unsure:

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Can't really give you a good reason, but when I worked for WH Smith in 1978/9 magazines always came out on the last Thursday of the month. I seem to recall it meant the new months issue was on sale for the whole of the month, thus people would go into the shop at the weekend and go 'ah the new x is out'

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There was once ( may still be) a youth oriented humor magazine in the US called "MAD" magazine. They would publish an issue every time the material was all prepared, most always more than one per month - each with the next available monthly date. When I last saw one they were about to years ahead with their cover date.

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