Two new-media agencies have combined to launch what they claim is
the UK’s first online newsagent, promising Internet users a one-stop
shop for subscribing to magazines from several publishing companies.
The Website, subscriptions.co.uk, was created by InteResource and Brown
Bear Publishing and has so far signed deals to handle 35 titles from
seven publishing companies including BBC Magazines, John Brown
Publishing and Conde Nast. Each publisher is charged a flat fee per
title rather than a commission for subscription payments generated.
’You can walk into any newsagent and buy any magazine, yet until now
online you’ve only been able to do so by finding that magazine’s
particular site,’ said Dan Squirrel, chief executive of Brown Bear,
which is co-ordinating the day-to-day running of the site.
’Some publishers have had to rethink their Net strategy because it
hasn’t generated income for them. This site means they can generate
subscriptions without taking on board development costs or risk,’ he
added.
Each participating magazine will be given its own Web address which will
be hosted by the umbrella site. It will be accessible either via
promotions in each issue of the magazine concerned or through online
search engines.
