British mags push hard for lion’s share

A customer in Magazzino on Ponsonby Road in Auckland reaches for a British magazine. Picture / Greg Bowker

British publishers and New Zealand retailers are combining for a special push on British magazine titles aimed at increasing the foreign mags' share of the local market.

Spearheaded by Auckland's UK Trade and Investment office, the promotion will coincide with the British and Irish Lions rugby tour which kicks off next month.

Stephen Parker, New Zealand business manager for the Guardian Weekly newspaper, said the Lions tour and the influx of supporters was the ideal opportunity to launch the promotion - which, if successful, would be replicated in other countries.

"The presence of the Lions and their supporters will ensure everything British has a high profile during June and July and provides us with a perfect opportunity to get our message out in what is an intensely competitive market," he said. "This will be the biggest thing that has ever happened in New Zealand for the international magazine market and will touch every single retailer in the country."

Parker said there was a lot of interest in the UK to see how everyone (publishers and retailers) could benefit by combining on a promotion like this.

And, for local retailers, every extra unit sold was a bonus.

More than 1000 British magazine and periodicals are on sale here and three million copies are sold every year - giving the category a 10 per cent market share.

Seven thousand New Zealand retailers stock British titles - ranging from fashion glossies such as Glamour, Vogue, Eve, Vanity Fair, Harpers and Queen to special interest magazines like Yachting World, Decanter and Golf Monthly.

Changing tastes in the British magazine market have recently seen a raft of new titles aimed at the youth market with music magazines like Mojo and Q coming in by air each month. British magazines usually take about six weeks to make the journey Downunder.

Another new trend is the development of magazines specifically aimed at children but with the sort of content parents encourage.

Towards the end of the campaign, a new magazine from Conde Nast, Easy Living, should hit local shelves.

Part of the promotion is the chance to win a return trip for two to the UK - which can be entered via more than 200,000 promotional stickers printed and placed on the front covers of participating titles during the campaign.

Barbara Harris, acting director of trade and investment at the British Consulate, said New Zealand had the highest per capita consumption of British goods in the world outside of the UK, as well as the highest per capita readership of British magazines and newspapers.

"When you see the range of titles you can understand why and, while some things are universal, the British magazines also give New Zealanders a window to the wider world," said Harris.

Major retailers, including Whitcoulls, Bennetts and Magazzino will be promoting the British publications, with the 16 Whitcoulls airport branches making a particular effort given the number of Lions supporters passing through.

True Brits

* More than 1000 British magazine and periodicals are on sale here.

* Three million copies are sold every year, giving the category a 10 per cent market share.

* Seven thousand retailers stock British titles, ranging from fashion glossies to sports magazines.

* New Zealand has the highest per capita consumption of British goods in the world, outside of the UK.

* It also has the highest per capita readership of British magazines and newspapers.