Fashion In A Box?

Image from Amazon.com - Harper's BAZAAR (1-year auto-renewal) - Amazon.com - All Rights Reserved

Fashion In A Box?

The latest invention from the world of fashion print is rolling onto newsstands this week in a 9 pound box complete with a handle.

Fashion in a box is an invention by William (Will) Michalopoulos, senior director of retail at Hearst Magazines.  It's designed to encourage consumers to buy three fashion magazine packaged together in a box for $13.99, a $2.00 savings off the normal price of all three.

The idea behind the Fashion In A Box concept is to bundle Heart Magazine's three fashion titles, Harper's Bazaar, Elle and Marie Claire into one box, for one price.  The Goal?  To encourage fashion magazine readers to spring for all three titles, rather than buying just one.

Will Consumers Be Hooked By Fashion In A Box?

In an interview with Mr. Magazine™ of CommPRO.biz, Mr. Michalopoulos explained how the idea for fashion in a box evolved from a sluggish sales market.  The current trend is for 85% of the buyers to only pick up one of the three magazines rather than all of them.

The Hearst Magazine executive told CommPRO.biz "over the last couple of years we’ve really been trying to think of ways to generate multiple purchases."

Image From Rachel Zoe Fashion Collection - PR Photos - All Rights Reserved

Michalopoulos explained "we’ve done some other things and actually when I first got here we looked at doing this three-pack in a poly-bag and we looked at it several ways and we just physically couldn’t do it. The books were just too big."

Will Fashion In A Box Fly?

This new marketing scheme from Hearst caught my interest because as much as I used to love print magazines, I honestly never buy them anymore.

I used to subscribe to every fashion magazine ever published from Vogue to Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Marie Claire and InStyle.  In days past, if a magazine cover at my favorite Barnes & Noble even hinted at a feature on fashion, I would snap it up.

Not only did I love to peruse the gorgeous fashions images, I received lots of inspiration from the hair, make-up, accessories and related beauty tidbits.

The Best Online Fashion Sites Update Constantly

The times have certainly changed for me, and I suspect many people like me.

Not only do I rarely make it into a Barnes & Noble store or similar magazine newsstands, if I want to read about fashion, I simply click on my iPad and surf to my favorite on-line fashion sites.

On the best fashion websites I find the fashion news to be updated on a constant basis. I no longer have to wait weeks for the fashion news.

Image from BravoTV.com

Even better, I can often find a constantly updated collection of eye catching fashions on Pinterest or links to the latest fashion happenings via Twitter or Facebook.

I still read many of the fashion magazines, but only through my mobile subscriptions on my various mobile devices.

Half Price Books For Heavily Discounted Fashion Titles

If I happen to be shopping at my local Half Price Book store I might stop by the magazine section to see if they have any used fashion editions.

I can often find a great selection of the most recent fashion titles discounted for 50% or more.

There have been times during a Half Price sales or special coupon event where I've snagged pristine copies of the latest Vogue or InStyle for as much as 75 or 80% off.

Print Magazines Are The Root Of My Clutter Evils

Fashion Runway Show - PR Photos - All Rights Reserved

Part of the reason I no longer buy any type of magazines, fashion titles included, is because they were the root of all my clutter evil.

I also objected to how heavy and bulky the magazines could be. When I'm juggling a iPad, my handbag and any business papers, I honestly can't manage any extra baggage. Certainly not a 9 pound box of magazines.

Will Fashion In A Box Fly?

Mr. Michalopoulos hopes Fashion In A Box will be snapped up by travelers getting on planes.  He would love for them to just grab it and take to read on a flight. 

As much as I used to love thick glossy fashion magazines, now I find them cumbersome. When I'm finished with them I can never decide whether to store them or throw them away.

If I find fashions I love, I feel bad about ripping the pages out, which I promptly misplace somewhere in my stacks of other reference pages.

Fashion Model - PR Photos - All Rights Reserved

Not only does ripping out pages render the magazine non-resellable, it seems oddly disrespectful to all the editors, models and photographers who obviously worked so hard to create a fashion work of art.

I also have to admit if I were to buy Fashion In A Box, I would be more likely to do so if I could pick and choose the titles I wanted. The Hearst Fashion In A Box requires you to buy the three titles they packaged together.  

Buyers have no choice on the titles they might like to package together.  They get what is already packaged.

Summary - Fashion In A Box

While I am intrigued by the idea of Fashion In A Box, I'm definitely not planning on buying it.  Not only is the idea of lugging around 9 pounds of magazines daunting, I would question why I was spending $13.99 on a box of fashion magazines, when I could get similar information online for so much less. 

What do you think?  Is the Hearst Fashion In A Box a great idea or a marketing ploy with holes. Is Fashion In a Box just a clever ploy to get consumers to buy more magazines?