Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com),
a wholly owned subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS),
the world’s largest bookseller, announced
today they will be selling magazine subscriptions in both digital and
print formats. BN.com will sell subscriptions to over 1,000 magazine
titles, available in both digital and print formats, at prices up to
ninety percent off newsstand cover prices. Digital subscriptions will be
available within minutes of purchase for viewing on desktops and
laptops. In addition, more than 12,000 back issues of hundreds of
magazine titles will be available digitally for purchase as single
copies.
BN.com has partnered with Zinio to fulfill digital magazines and with M2
Media Group to provide fulfillment services for paper-based magazine
subscriptions. The selling of digital magazine follows the 2007 launch
on BN.com of the Zinio-powered “See Inside”
feature, which enables customers to experience interactive previews of
book content. The popular “See Inside”
feature will now enable customers to also preview certain magazines, in
a high-quality virtual experience that closely replicates the
page-turning of a print magazine.
“Consumer awareness and demand for digital
content are seeing unprecedented growth. Zinio’s
expertise in creating and promoting high-fidelity reading experiences
makes this partnership a natural fit.” said
Rich Maggiotto, chief executive officer of Zinio. “Together,
BN.com and Zinio will take the reading experience to the next level by
delivering high-quality digital products quickly and in a format suited
to the readers’ needs and interests.”
“BN.com saw the benefits of offering print
magazine subscriptions to customers, and chose M2Media Group to provide
a seamless integration,” said Michael
Borchetta, chief executive officer of M2 Media Group. “We’re
excited to partner with such a well-known and respected brand, and
really get involved in helping build its online magazine business from
the ground up.”
“Our magazine offering gives our customers
the ultimate flexibility to consume their favorite magazines both
digitally and/or in the more traditional print form via a subscription,”
said Marie Toulantis, chief executive officer of Barnes & Noble.com. “By
growing our relationship with Zinio, and introducing a partnership with
M2 Media Group, we will be the only retailer to offer both options in an
integrated shopping experience.”
About Barnes & Noble, Inc.
Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS),
the world’s largest bookseller and a Fortune
500 company, operates 798 bookstores in 50 states. For the fourth year
in a row, the company is the nation’s top
bookseller brand, as determined by a brand’s
overall strength based on its combination of familiarity, quality and
purchase intent, according to the EquiTrend®
Brand Study by Harris Interactive®. Barnes &
Noble conducts its online business through Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com),
one of the Web’s largest e-commerce sites.
General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained via the
Internet by visiting the company’s corporate
website: www.barnesandnobleinc.com.
About Zinio LLC
Zinio is the global leader for digital publishing products and services.
Zinio provides publishers with new circulation and revenue growth
opportunities through its comprehensive offerings from marketing
programs that include customer acquisition, retention and
cross-promotion to seamless production services, a robust e-commerce
engine and extensive digital delivery, circulation and fulfillment
services. Major publishing partners include, Bonnier, Hearst, IDG,
Gruner + Jahr, Hachette Filipacchi, IPC Media, Mariah Media,
McGraw-Hill, Playboy Enterprises, Primedia, Wenner Media, and Ziff
Davis. Zinio has offices in San Francisco and New York with several
franchisees worldwide.
About M2 Media Group, LLC
M2 Media Group (www.m2mediagroup.com)
is a leading magazine subscription agency specializing in online
marketing channels. The company designs magazine marketing and loyalty
programs in partnership with top consumer brands and the world’s
largest magazine publishers.
M2 has forged magazine partnerships with industry leaders such as
Expedia, Match.com, e-Rewards, eHarmony, Dice.com, Affinion Group and
Orbitz, and owns and operates several leading magazine services,
including BlueDolphin, MyPrice Magazines, and Mercury Magazines. M2
Media Group is based in Stamford, Connecticut.
