OPINION: A newsagent operated by a publisher?

This week Condé Nast, the publisher of upmarket titles Vogue and Tatler, launched its very own ‘newsagent’. The shop will be open from 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and will sell more than 120 of its own titles from around the world.

I went to the central London-based shop on the eve of its launch to find out how it compares to independent retailers’ stores. As you’ll see from this picture, it’s rather unique and, for the typical reader of Condé Nast titles, hugely inviting.

The fairly small area is very brightly lit, with interactive screens placed sporadically among the magazine display, and iPads to encourage customers to sample the digital side of the publisher’s business. And every magazine gets a full, double or multiple facing.

Jonathan Newhouse, chairman of Condé Nast, who said he started his career in a newsagent and was the brains behind the project, told me it was “how a newsstand should look”. Of course, an independent retailer wouldn’t be able to emulate it in their store – and it’s doubtful it would work anyway – but retailers can take something away from it. Having titles fully or double faced may not always be practical, but for the biggest-selling titles, it really does succeed in drawing customers to the newsstand.