WAL-MART LAUNCHES EXCLUSIVE MAGAZINE 2004-08-30 (1)

LIZA CASABONA

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- The much-anticipated women's service magazine, All You, launched exclusively in Wal-Mart Stores this month.

A sample issue was offered to customers earlier in the month to increase awareness of the launch, said Karen Burk, spokeswoman for the retail giant. Wal-Mart expects the magazine to resonate with its consumer base, she said.

"Anytime you offer a quality product that is value-priced, such as this magazine is, we anticipate it to be popular with many of our customers."

The newsstand price of All You is $1.47.

To further draw attention to the magazine launch some of the chain's cashiers have worn buttons that have the magazine title on them, Burk said.

All You is published by Time Inc., New York. Wal-Mart stores will have no ties to the editorial content of the magazine, according to media reports and company statements. The exclusivity period at Wal-Mart lasts through January 2006.

Burk declined to comment on the magazine's performance to date.

The content of the magazine focuses on a homey, women-next-door approach with a practical editorial focus in keeping with Wal-Mart's customer base, according to statements from Time.

"If executed well, [All You] is going to be a magazine that has a very clearly defined demographic target," said Peter Kreisky, chairman of Kreisky Media Consultancy, New York. "My view on magazine publishing has always been that if you have a very clear idea in your mind of who your audience is and where they live, you can create titles that really speak to them and build loyalty."

As reported in SN earlier this year, while custom publishing is common among retailers, All You marks the biggest such effort to date. The impact of the launch could be far reaching because Wal-Mart controls between 15% and 20% of the magazine market, according to industry sources, meaning sales of All You could rival larger competitors.

The magazine launch is not surprising, sources said, given the scope of Wal-Mart's customer interaction.

"It's all about traffic," said Art Turock, sales growth strategist with Art Turock and Associates, Kirkland, Wash. "This magazine is another demonstration of companies seeing that customer -- literally the Wal-Mart shopper -- as a market in and of itself. That's the big picture. There's great reachability in Wal-Mart stores."