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Will its move into consumer titles threaten publishers ? By Mark B anham
FORUM
Tesco's clout in the UK retail economy has been well documented. Statistics have indicated that as much as £1 in every £8 spent on the UK high street goes through the supermarket giant's tills.
And, it seems, Tesco's expansion plans now extend to the consumer magazine market. Last week, Campaign revealed that the supermarket is set to launch three magazines on newsstands across its 2,000 UK stores. Titled, variously, Food, Home and Your TV Week, each will have a coverprice and will be produced by the independent publisher CatMags Communications, a joint venture between the customer publisher PSP Rare and Lucid Direct.
Its plans seem likely to put greater pressure on consumer publishers, which,certainly ina sectorsuch as television listings, are battling against declining circulations. Does the move of a retailer that has previously been a partner of the publishers into such a competitive market spell trouble for these publishers? Or is it simply more welcome competition and a sign that consumer magazines are, once again, on the up?
Few at major publishers were keen to talk about Tesco's move, perhaps wary of upsetting such an important retail partner. Off-therecord, though, some will concede that although the launch of the Food and Home titles, with relatively small planned circulations of 50,000, are not a massive cause for concern, the presence of a masscirculation TV listings title with a bargain basement...