Going From Subscription-Only to Newsstand

The Hub tests retail waters with newsstand edition.

By Bill Mickey
Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Westport, Connecticut-based Hub magazine, previously only available via subscription, has launched on newsstands in Barnes & Noble and Borders bookstores. The September/October issue of the bimonthly will be the first to hit newsstands.

The six-year-old magazine, independently produced by the David X. Manners Company, targets about 3500 senior executives in corporate marketing departments and agencies. The newsstand launch is part of a larger plan to extend the brand onto multiple platforms—apps and Kindle editions are forthcoming as well. "The thinking is we need to be everywhere and deliver our content when and where people want to receive it," says Tim Manners, president of David X. Manners Company and editor and publisher of The Hub.

Manners tapped Source Interlink to distribute the magazine and 3,000 copies will initially be delivered to about half of each of the retailers across the country. One or two copies will be available per store. "We'll see how that goes and then we'll grow from there," says Manners.

While distinct sell through targets have not been set, Manners and Source are hoping for a 40 percent sell through at a $10.95 cover price to push the magazine into a solid and sustainable retail growth pattern.