Meijer and MPA Partner on Category-Wide Magazine Promotion

Grand Rapids, MI-based supercenter retailer Meijer and Magazine Publishers of America (MPA), the consumer magazine trade association, have just completed a special, category-wide magazine promotion. Customers were offered a $2 discount off their next purchase at Meijer when they bought two or more magazines in a single shopping trip.

The promotion ran from August 21 through September 6 in all 182 Meijer supercenters in  Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio and involved magazines spanning all editorial categories. Meijer carries more than 1,800 magazines in its stores, and all titles were eligible to qualify for the promotion.

The promotion’s marketing messaging focused on the unique benefits of the magazine reading experience, with the theme “Magazines Put the World in Your Hands.” Promotional support  included a special nine-magazine display bin at each store's entrance; in-store signage at checkouts and mainlines; featuring in Meijer's weekly circular; an email blast to Meijer customers and promotion on the Meijer Web site; and full-page ads in local newspaper inserts.

"Meijer has always been a strong supporter of the magazine category," said Gerry Wilding, buyer/merchandiser for books, magazines, music and movies at Meijer, adding that the retailer welcomed the promotion “as the kind of innovative marketing that is consistent with the Meijer brand."

No word on results was available at press time. However, Jeremy Koch, executive VP, consumer marketing for MPA, which spearheaded the initiative, stressed that Meijer and MPA set up the promotion in the belief that consumers would be responsive to a value-oriented magazine program, particularly in the current economy. He also reports that MPA hopes to use learning from this promotion—including overall category sales results versus comparable period, sales for the nine titles with special display, coupon redemption and market basket analysis—as the basis for a larger program next year.

The promotion was funded by MPA and a consortium of leading publishers, including Bonnier Corp., Condé Nast Publications, Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., Meredith Corp., The Reader's Digest Association, and Rodale Inc.

Planning for the initiative involved all four national distributors: Comag Marketing Group, Curtis Circulation Company, Kable Media Services and Time/Warner Retail Sales & Marketing, as well as Distribution Services, Inc. (DSI).  Merchandising support was provided by Source Interlink Distribution.