As Christmas specials begin landing in stores, some magazines are predicting 287% more revenue for shops than on their standard editions.

According to data from magazine distributors, po­litical and current events magazines are anticipat­ing an average sales uplift of 119%. With most titles charg­ing more for their Christ­mas editions, this results in an average revenue uplift of 160% on average.

The New Statesman, New Scientist, The Specta­tor and Time Magazine are all anticipating sales more than doubling on their festive editions. With the increased prices factored in, The New Statesman predicts a revenue boost of 273%, New Scientist 200%, The Spectator 287% and Time Magazine 139%.

Other current-affairs magazines are also antici­pating a rise in sales on special editions this year. Private Eye is predict­ing a revenue uplift of 76%, The Week 97% and The Economist 51%.

Which other magazines are expecting a sales uplift this festive period?

Current affairs is not the only magazine category predicting strong sales.

Smiths News expects the total retail sales of TV titles to double for the Christmas issues. Radio Times is likely to generate £5m in retail sales value on its Christ­mas special. This would make it the biggest revenue-gen­erating edition of any UK magazine.

Trudy Davies, of Woosnam & Davies News in Llanidloes, Powys, sees a lot of sales of festive specials for general interest titles. “People like to get something glossy to relax with over the holiday,” she said. “My store does very well with these titles.”

Davies highlighted food magazines such as Home Cooking and Good Food as great titles for peo­ple to pick up over their Christmas holidays. She added that home-interior and craft magazines also do well. This is because people looking to get into the fes­tive mood with seasonal specials.

Christmas magazines are a great way to tap into the gifting opportunity

Davies also pointed to a strong gift op­portunity with maga­zines. People who have bought a small gift such as a gift card, or are giving cash, often like to pick up a one-shot or Christmas special to make the gift-giving experience more physical.

If a customer comes in for gift cards or a vouchers, retailers can potentially make an additional sale on a relevant magazine. For instance, the new Minecraft magazine alongside a Steam gift card. A fashion magazine with a high-street store gift card. A literary magazine with a bookshop gift card.

James Laffar, managing director of distributor Ra & Olly agreed, telling Better Retailing that even very high-priced magazines are “surpris­ingly often” picked up as last-minute gifts.

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