L Brands, Inc. reported net sales of $2.516 billion for the five weeks ended Dec. 30, 2017, an increase of 3 percent, compared to net sales of $2.438 billion for the five weeks ended Dec. 31, 2016. Comparable sales increased 1 percent for the five weeks ended Dec. 30, 2017. The company reported net sales of $11.592 billion for the 48 weeks ended Dec. 30, 2017, compared to net sales of $11.769 billion for the 48 weeks ended Dec. 31, 2016. Comparable sales decreased 4 percent for the 48 weeks ended Dec. 30, 2017. For the 48 weeks ended Dec. 30, 2017, the exit of the swim and apparel categories had a negative impact of about 3 percentage points and 5 percentage points to total company and Victoria’s Secret comparable sales, respectively. Click Read More below for additional information.

J. C. Penney Company, Inc. announced that its comparable store sales for the combined nine-week period ending December 30, 2017 increased 3.4 % over the same period last year. The Company also reaffirmed all components of its most recent full-year financial guidance for fiscal 2017. "We are very encouraged with our overall comp sales performance during the holiday season, which was led by home, beauty and fine jewelry. Additionally, our apparel categories continue to demonstrate improved comp performance, particularly in women's and kids. We are also pleased by our e-commerce business that continues to outpace prior year results with double-digit sales growth, largely driven by sought-after gifting categories such as fine jewelry, home decor and luggage, toys, boots and athletic footwear. Our ability to execute e-commerce fulfillment from 100% of our brick and mortar stores helped fuel the growth in e-commerce for the holiday season. We remain confident that our strategic initiatives are taking hold and resonating with customers," said Marvin R. Ellison, chairman and chief executive officer of JCPenney. Click Read More below for additional information.

Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $14.94 billion for the month of December, the five weeks ended December 31, 2017, an increase of 14.3 percent from $13.07 billion during the similar period last year. For the first 17 weeks of fiscal year 2018 ended December 31, 2017, the Company reported net sales of $46.06 billion, an increase of 11.9 percent from $41.18 billion reported during the similar period last year. Click Read More below for additional information.

Time Inc. has officially sold Essence—the magazine as well as its website and events business—to a group of investors led by Shea Moisture founder Richelieu Dennis, the latter announced today. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the buyer confirmed that Essence president Michelle Ebanks will continue at the helm and will gain an equity stake in the business. Click Read More below for additional information.

Revenues from continuing operations for the quarter were $5.4 billion compared to revenues from continuing operations of $5.7 billion in the prior year's third quarter, a decrease of $315.9 million or 5.6 percent. Retail Pharmacy Segment revenues were $4.0 billion and decreased 3.0 percent compared to the prior year period primarily as a result of a decrease in same store sales and reimbursement rates. Revenues in the company's Pharmacy Services Segment were $1.4 billion and decreased 12.2 percent compared to the prior year period, due to an election to participate in fewer Medicare Part D regions and a decline in commercial business. Same store sales from continuing operations for the quarter decreased 2.5 percent from the prior year, consisting of a 3.5 percent decrease in pharmacy sales and a 0.5 percent decrease in front-end sales. Pharmacy sales included an approximate 198 basis point negative impact from new generic introductions. The number of prescriptions filled in same stores, adjusted to 30-day equivalents, decreased 2.4 percent from the prior year period due in part to exclusion from certain pharmacy networks that Rite Aid participated in the prior year. Prescription sales from continuing operations accounted for 66.5 percent of total drugstore sales. Net loss from continuing operations was $18.2 million or $0.02 per diluted share compared to last year's third quarter net income from continuing operations of $23.6 million or $0.02 per diluted share. The decline in operating results was due primarily to a decline in Adjusted EBITDA, partially offset by a higher income tax benefit. Click Read More below for additional information.

Fiscal 2018 first quarter net earnings attributable to Walgreens Boots Alliance determined in accordance with GAAP decreased 22.1 percent to $821 million compared with the same quarter a year ago, while GAAP diluted net earnings per share decreased 16.5 percent to $0.81 compared with the same quarter a year ago. The decreases in GAAP net earnings and GAAP net earnings per share were mainly due to impairment of the company's equity method investment in Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals. In addition, these decreases reflect a loss from the company's equity earnings in AmerisourceBergen and benefits from the UK tax rate reduction recorded in the same quarter a year ago. Sales in the first quarter were $30.7 billion, an increase of 7.9 percent from the year-ago quarter, and an increase of 7.2 percent on a constant currency basis. Click Read More below for additional information.

"Macy's had a solid holiday shopping season, and we are pleased that our November/December performance resulted in positive comp sales for the period, setting us up for a positive fourth quarter. Consumers were ready to spend this season, and we delivered with solid execution, fresher inventory, a curated gift assortment and a focus on customer experience. We saw improved sales trends in our stores and continued to see double-digit growth on our digital platforms. Customers also responded well to our new loyalty program," said Jeff Gennette, Macy's, Inc. chief executive officer. "We intend to close the fourth quarter in a good position and head into 2018 with momentum." Macy's, Inc. saw improved holiday sales across Macy's, Macy's Backstage, Bloomingdale's, Bloomingdale's The Outlet and Bluemercury, with exclusive gifts showing strong performance. Active apparel, shoes, dresses, coats, fine jewelry, men's tailored clothing, children's and home were all top performers. Beauty was also a highlight and showed a marked improvement in trend, with particular strength in fragrance, prestige skincare and cosmetic gifting. Click Read More below for additional information.

The American Catalog Mailers Association, Inc. filed a lawsuit against the Ohio Department of Taxation, seeking to declare unconstitutional a new state law that improperly expands the Department's jurisdiction beyond the state's borders in clear violation of existing U.S. Supreme Court precedent. The ACMA intends to demonstrate that Ohio’s software “cookie” nexus standard for sales/use tax is in direct contravention of the extraterritorial limits on state tax authority under Quill v. North Dakota. The state is claiming that the mere presence of electrons placed on an Ohio computer pierces the longstanding "physical presence" test under Quill and subjects remote sellers to sales tax collection and other compliance obligations. “This is an egregious assault on out of state companies seeking to sell to Ohio residents and effectively presents a barrier to interstate commerce that cannot be left unchallenged,” said ACMA President Hamilton Davison. “We have no doubt the Ohio judiciary, in light of the well-established national precedent created by the highest court in the land, will overturn this illegal new law.” ACMA has filed this action just before the law’s January 1, 2018 effective date. Click Read More below for additional information.

Amazon announced its Best of Prime 2017 – revealing some of the Prime member favorites of the year. Built on a foundation of fast, free delivery, more than five billion items worldwide shipped with Prime in 2017, including free same-day, one-day, and two-day shipping. Prime is designed to make members’ lives easier and more fun with a unique combination of shipping, shopping and entertainment. Prime members used their digital benefits in 2017 more than in any previous year - putting The Grand Tour on Prime Video, “Believer” by Imagine Dragons on Prime Music and The Handmaid’s Tale on Prime Reading on the U.S. ‘best of’ list for 2017. Find Amazon’s Best of Prime 2017 on Prime Insider. Click Read More below for additional information.

Hearst achieved record profits for the seventh straight year, as our efforts to build and acquire great companies in the business data and software sector helped overcome a tough year for many of our consumer media franchises. Our biggest majority-owned business, Fitch Group, led the way with an outstanding performance across the world, particularly in its core bond ratings business. 2017 was another great year to be a consumer of media products but less so to be a provider of that content. While platform companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon and Netflix thrived through their dominance of advertising and ecommerce channels, many individual media brands struggled to get their share of the advertising pie and consumers bought fewer television bundles or magazine subscriptions. In magazines, led by President David Carey and Publishing Director Michael Clinton, our world class digital operation made significant gains in 2017, and some of the newer magazines we have launched over the past 10 years, namely Food Network Magazine and HGTV Magazine, are among our best editorial products and most profitable titles. Still, the magazine business needs more change. With respect to many of our titles, we need the readers to pay more for the product. And we need to find a way to make digital subscription products work for magazines in the way that they are starting to work for newspapers. Near the end of 2017 we agreed to acquire Rodale’s magazine business, with such well-established titles as Men’s Health, Women’s Health and Prevention. The addition of these titles will give our magazine business a shot in the arm and some new talent to help in our efforts to keep innovating and experimenting as we reset the business model for the future. Click Read More below for additional information.

Last year JK Rowling reclaimed the No 1 spot in the bestseller charts by returning from mundane reality to the Potterverse (with the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child playscript); and before that EL James topped the 2015 charts by revisiting the Fifty Shades world from Christian’s perspective. In 2017 it was Jamie Oliver’s turn to play the comeback champion, after managing a best position of only 40th a year ago and being described in (ahem) the 2016 bestsellers analysis piece as “apparently fading”. Mysteriously revitalised (surely there’s more to it than Channel 4 restoring him to peak-time after marooning him in the afternoon?), Oliver leads a markedly blokey top 10 dominated by recurring figures, with two David Walliams titles joined by books from Dan Brown, Lee Child, Jeff Kinney and Guinness World Records. Click Read More below for additional information.

Mr. Magazine — or Sami A. Husni, the director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi, School of Journalism and a renowned magazine expert — has selected the 20 “hottest” magazine launches of 2017. In February, the annual list will be whittled down to one — and that magazine will win “The Launch of the Year” at the American Magazine Media Conference hosted by MPA: The Association of Magazine Media. Between October 2016 and December 2017, Mr. Magazine counts 201 new magazine brands that launched with a regular publishing frequency. Click Read More below for additional information.

While holiday unit sales of print books got off to a slow start Thanksgiving weekend, they ended on a strong note. Print unit sales increased 7% in the week ended Dec. 24, 2017, over the comparable week in 2016 at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. The gain was driven by the retail and club channel, where unit sales were 8% higher than the week ended Dec. 25, 2016. Sales through mass merchandisers fell 2% in the week compared to 2016. Juvenile nonfiction had the strongest gain among the major book segments, with units up 19% over 2016. Rob Elliott’s Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids was #1 on the category bestseller list, selling more than 33,000 copies. Star Wars: The Last Jedi: The Visual Dictionary by Pablo Hidalgo moved up the list in the week, selling almost 25,000 copies, which put it in fourth place on the segment bestseller list. Click Read More below for additional information.

Unit sales of print books rose 3% in the week ended December 17, 2017, over the comparable period in 2016, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Last week was the first week that print unit sales were up over the comparable week in 2016 since the holiday selling season began during Thanksgiving week. The retail and club channel, which includes all bookstores plus Amazon, had a 5% increase in sales over the week ended December 18, 201, and with two weeks left to go in 2017, sales through that channel were up 3%. The mass merchandiser channel, however, continued to trend downward compared to last year. Last week, unit sales to mass merchandisers were down 9% compared to the similar week in 2016, and for the year to date, sales fell 8%. Click Read More below for additional information.

There’s a question that’s been asked since the early beginnings of digital communication over 30 years ago. That question has been the focus of many debates, discussions, articles and research papers, as well as arguments between billions of parents and their children all over the world. It’s preoccupied governments, academics, companies, organisations and brands, and will continue to do so for a long time to come. The question is simple: Is digital harming our health? The amount of digital information that’s being created, consumed and shared every day is staggering. In just one minute of an average day, Google receives over 4,000,000 search queries, YouTube users upload 72 hours of new video, Facebook users share 2,460,000 pieces of content, and Apple users download 48,000 apps. By the time you will have finished reading this article, those numbers will have increased further. All this content consumption brings with it a host of potential health issues for the user. Anxiety, depression, addiction, isolation, narcissism, all are becoming more and more common, particularly amongst the young. Click Read More below for additional information.

Rolling Stone, the magazine Jann Wenner started 50 years ago with a $7,500 loan from his family, closed a deal with Penske Media Corporation, sending Wenner Media's value to $100 million and giving PMC a controlling interest in the company. Wenner Media was previously valued at $50 million. The investment from PMC is within that same range, giving them a 51% stake. It is reported to rival what it paid for Fairchild's stable of titles in 2014. After rumors circled that PMC was the frontrunner in the bid for Wenner Media, the corporation closed the deal yesterday afternoon. Click Read More below for additional information.

Informed Delivery users can now view images of their household’s incoming mail and manage their package deliveries, the Postal Service announced today. More than seven million Informed Delivery users who opt-in to receive email notifications can now view their mail in their daily digest emails and also see tracking information about the expected delivery of their packages. Also, users are able to track package deliveries, leave delivery instructions and schedule redelivery from the online Informed Delivery dashboard. Click Read More below for additional information.

Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. announces that it has entered into an agreement to reduce its stake in Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a pharmaceutical wholesaling joint venture in China, following an offer from its joint venture partner Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical Holdings Co. Ltd. Subject to regulatory review and approval and other customary closing conditions, Walgreens Boots Alliance will sell a 30% interest in Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals Corporation to Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical Holdings that, following the proposed sale, would own 80%. Upon completion, Walgreens Boots Alliance will own a 20% interest in Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals Corporation and will continue to account for its remaining stake as an equity method investment.

As an American friend said to me recently: “if you ain’t growing, you are shrinking”, and having given that rather asinine statement a decent amount of thought, I think that they may be right… In recent weeks, we have witnessed Time and Rolling Stone magazines change hands and getting new chunks of money, and today we are announcing that we are creating a new magazine for the European Airline Transavia France. And all of this comes on the back of the fact that we have never had a busier year both in terms of growth and advertisers flocking to our print magazines and digital products. We are all currently being bombarded by “commentators” and “journalists” saying that the print media business is over... but knowing what I know about media and travel media specifically, I think that is both a naïve and a false statement. We are currently seeing an average 3 – 5 % annual growth in passenger numbers across the airline world with some of our partners reporting increases as large as 9%. That more bums on seats and more people/eyeballs for our magazines. Click Read More below for additional information.

In August 2017, Trade publishers’ revenues (sales to bookstores, wholesalers, direct to consumer, online retailers, etc.) increased +1.0% compared to August 2016. For the year-to-date (Jan. – Aug. 2017) revenues were flat at 0.0%. AAP’s StatShot reports Trade Books in the categories of fiction books, non-fiction books and religious presses. The slight revenue increase in August 2017, compared to August 2016, came from growth in Childrens and Young Adult books (up +2.9%) and Religious Presses (up +7.8%). There was a slight decline in revenue in August and a -0.6% year-to-date decline for all tracked categories, which includes: Trade Books, PreK-12 Instructional Materials, Higher Education Course Materials, Professional Publishing, and University Presses. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Home Depot® announced that it has acquired The Company Store, a leading online retailer of textiles and home décor products, from Hanover Direct. The deal closed on December 19 and terms were not disclosed. In addition to its success as an online retailer, The Company Store has strong relationships and industry leading capabilities in the development and sourcing of high quality textiles across bedding, bath, and related categories. Founded in 1911, The Company Store has a rich history of providing products that are highly sought after by customers as they put the finishing touches on a room. Click Read More below for additional information.

Despite Indonesia's pulp and paper industry having experienced ups and downs, affected by challenges from both within and outside the country, one thing that is certain is that the industry's supply chain remains supportive of livelihoods and brings prosperity to communities in surrounding areas. Government data shows that the pulp and paper industry contributes 6.7 percent of national manufacturing industry gross domestic product (GDP) and last year, it contributed US$ 3.9 billion (non-oil export) to the country's exports. As part of this economic benefit, the government data shows that the industry has created jobs for 260 thousands direct jobs and 1.1 million indirect jobs throughout the value chain. The benefits of the industry's presence have also been felt by Sulaiman, who established his own company, Rifky Pratama Sanjaya, which supplies 200 tons of cocopeat per month to Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP) – one of the biggest pulp and paper producers in Indonesia that uses technologically advanced and efficient processes. Click Read More below for additional information.

Add another accolade to the trophy case in what has turned out to be a banner year for Mryna Blyth, Bob Love, and co. According to the latest data from market research firm GfK MRI, AARP The Magazine has overtaken People as America’s most-read print magazine. An estimated 38.3 million adults read the magazine over the reporting period—which ran from March to November, 2017—narrowly edging out People, which was read by an estimated 37.9 million adults, according to the data, down from 41.4 million a year ago. Click Read More below for additional information.

The consumer survey, “Print and Paper in a Digital World,” highlights interesting consumer trends on reading preferences and habits related to print vs digital. The recent Toluna survey commissioned by Two Sides showed that 62% of U.S. consumers between the ages of 18 to 55+ preferred to read books in print vs electronic devices, including 63% of the youngest age group (18 to 24 year-olds). Both groups strongly agreed (72-73%) that reading a printed book is more enjoyable than reading a book on an electronic device. Reading magazines showed a difference between the overall consumer response (66%) and the 18 to 24 year-olds (56%) although both still prefer print to digital. When asked if reading a printed magazine is more enjoyable than reading a magazine on an electronic device, the overall response was 73% and the younger group response was 66%. Click Read More below for additional information.

Lawyers for Newegg, Wayfair and Overstock petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court, requesting that it decline to review a South Dakota Supreme Court decision that would require larger online retailers to collect sales tax on purchases made in the state. Online retailers are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to decline review of a case that would require larger e-retailers to collect sales tax from South Dakota residents and pay it to the state. The South Dakota law would require out-of-state retailers that don’t have a physical presence in the state and generate least $100,000 in online sales or more than 200 transactions in the state to collect sales tax from South Dakota customers and then remit those taxes to the state. Click Read More below for additional information.

ModusLink Global Solutions™, Inc. and Steel Partners Holdings announced that ModusLink has completed the acquisition of privately-held IWCO Direct, a leading provider of data-driven direct marketing solutions, for $476 million in cash. Warren Lichtenstein, Executive Chairman of ModusLink, said, “We have been looking to acquire a profitable business with attractive operations and financials, and with a strong management team in order to leverage our approximately $2.1 billion in net operating loss carryforwards (NOLs) and cash. We found a great fit in IWCO Direct. We essentially double the size of our Company and add significant earnings and free cash flow. We add a market leader with industry-leading solutions, a client base consisting of Fortune 500 companies, and significant opportunities to drive both top- and bottom-line results. We intend to aggressively grow IWCO Direct, organically and through acquisitions, and will look to leverage Steel Partners’ vast relationships and resources to drive operational excellence and enhance stakeholder value.” Click Read More below for additional information.

The next generation of British authors could struggle to land a book deal after Brexit, according to the publisher who launched Harry Potter writer JK Rowling’s career. The UK’s close ties with Europe meant British publishers enjoyed a huge financial benefit from exploiting the exclusive English-language rights to books sold across the continent. However, US publishing companies such as Simon & Schuster believe Brexit will open the door to competition and break the cosy historical deals enjoyed by British publishers. Under such a scenario, British publishers will be forced to focus on keeping their star writers happy, potentially offering them more lucrative deals to keep European rights. As a result, financially pressured British publishers are likely to become more risk-averse in signing and promoting new and aspiring authors. Click Read More below for additional information.

At outlets that report to NPD BookScan, unit sales of print books were 4% lower in the week ended Dec. 10, 2017, than in the similar week in 2016. It was the third consecutive week this holiday season that sales were down from last year. The only major segment to post a unit increase in the week was juvenile nonfiction, which had a 5% gain over the week ended Dec. 11, 2016. First 100 Words by Roger Priddy was #1 on the category bestseller list, selling more than 21,000 copies in the week. Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison had a solid debut, selling more than 18,000 copies to land in fourth place on the category bestseller list. Unit sales in the juvenile fiction segment were 3% lower than in the similar week in 2016. Entries in Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series were #1 in both 2016 and 2017; Double Down sold almost 118,000 copies in the week ended Dec. 11, 2016, and The Getaway sold about 107,000 copies in the most recent week in 2017. Click Read More below for additional information.

This week is expected to be the busiest week of the holiday mailing and shipping season for the Postal Service. The organization expects to process and deliver nearly 3 billion pieces of First-Class Mail, including greeting cards this week alone. The Postal Service also expects to deliver nearly 200 million packages each week from Dec. 11-24. The Postal Service anticipates delivering more than 15 billion total pieces of mail this holiday season. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, USPS expects to deliver more than 850 million packages, an increase of more than 10 percent compared to the same period last year. Click Read More below for additional information.

The book manufacturing segment has come a long way since the doom and gloom days five years ago when many people questioned whether the printed book was in death mode due to the rise of ebooks. But, as we head into 2018, the demand for printed books is rising. And, with customer demands driving shorter runs and ultra-fast turnarounds, book printers are rising to the challenge of meeting those demands by continuing to invest in production inkjet and digital imaging technologies. New Disrupter: Amazon’s Turnaround SLAs: “It’s an exciting time to be in the industry,” says John Conley, CEO of Borderland Advisors, and a 42-year book manufacturing industry veteran with stints at RR Donnelley and then Xerox. What he is referring to is a new disrupter in the industry: Amazon same-day delivery, which he points out, will totally change today’s book publishing, manufacturing and distribution markets. Although it is unclear at this point exactly what the Service Level Agreement (SLA) will be, Conley does note that the supply chain requirement will create new profit models and opportunities for both publishers and printers.

Fourth Quarter Fiscal Year 2017 Financial Highlights • Adobe achieved record quarterly revenue of $2.01 billion in its fourth quarter of fiscal year 2017, which represents 25 percent year-over-year growth. • Diluted earnings per share was $1.00 on a GAAP-basis, and $1.26 on a non-GAAP basis. • Digital Media segment revenue was $1.39 billion, with Creative and Document Cloud achieving record quarterly revenue of $1.16 billion and $235 million, respectively. • Digital Media Annualized Recurring Revenue (“ARR”) grew to $5.23 billion exiting the quarter, a quarter-over-quarter increase of $359 million. • Adobe Experience Cloud achieved record revenue of $550 million, which represents 18 percent year-over-year growth. • Operating income grew 37 percent and net income grew 26 percent year-over-year on a GAAP-basis; operating income grew 37 percent and net income grew 39 percent year-over-year on a non-GAAP basis. Click Read More below for additional information.

Net sales for the first quarter were $31.12 billion, an increase of 13.3 percent from $27.47 billion during the first quarter last year. While this year’s twelve-week first quarter included one less sales day in the U.S. than the first quarter last year (due to the shift of the Thanksgiving holiday this year), pre-Thanksgiving and Black Friday/Holiday weekend sales fell into the first quarter this year compared to the second quarter last year. Combined, these factors produced an estimated net benefit of approximately 1.5% in the U.S., and slightly less worldwide. Click Read More below for additional information.

Time Inc. has reportedly reached an agreement to sell off Golf Magazine and its related assets to Howard Milstein, chairman of Emigrant Savings Bank. The deal was first reported by Golfweek senior writer Geoff Shackelford, citing “sources briefed on the sale.” Time Inc. has not confirmed the deal, and a spokeswoman tells Folio:, “The sales process for Golf is proceeding well and as soon as there are further developments we will share them.” Click Read More below for additional information.

At a contentious meeting Thursday morning, the FCC voted 3-2 to repeal net neutrality rules that prohibit broadband providers from blocking or throttling traffic, and from charging higher fees for prioritized delivery. The agency's controversial move also prohibits states from passing or enforcing their own broadband laws -- including, in the view of at least one Commissioner, privacy laws. The vote came during a session that lasted longer than 3 hours and was briefly interrupted by a security threat. Click Read More below for additional information.

Eighteen state attorneys general on Wednesday asked the Federal Communications Commission to postpone a planned vote on net neutrality until investigators have weeded out fake comments submitted to the agency about its proposed rollback. "If the well of public comment has been poisoned by falsified submissions, the Commission may be unable to rely on public comments that would help it reach a legitimate conclusion to the rulemaking process," the law enforcement officials write. "Or, it must give less weight to the public comments submitted which also undermines the process." The FCC is scheduled to vote Thursday on a proposal to repeal net neutrality rules that prohibit broadband providers from blocking or throttling traffic and from creating paid fast lanes. The agency is expected to repeal the rules on a 3-2 party line vote.

Third Quarter Fiscal 2018 Highlights: •Net sales decreased 1.4% to $469.2 million; •Company comparable sales decreased 0.7% and reflect an estimated impact of approximately 100 basis points related to the hurricanes in Texas and Florida; •E-Commerce sales penetration reached 26%; Click Read More below for additional information.

Media pundits like to claim that the magazine industry is failing and that print is an antiquated medium. True or not, the “print is dead” drumbeat inevitably taints the perception media buyers have of print as a viable marketing mechanism. Linda Thomas Brooks, president and CEO of the Association of Magazine Media (MPA), argues that this tired rhetoric glosses over the reality, which is that print is one of the most effective ways to deeply engage consumers, build brand awareness, and sell products. During a presentation at DigiPub: Harnessing the Power of Data-Driven Print in November, Brooks shared third-party research on printed magazines, which reveal an alternative narrative. “We learned that magazine media works because it builds brand and sells product at the same time,” said Brooks. Marketers are beginning to reawaken to the value of print as well. The digital revolution made it easier than ever for brands to market directly to consumers, so in the past several years ad spend has gone toward direct marketing tactics, said Brooks. Click Read More below for additional information.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. announced that it donated $450,000 worth of products to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation in both New York City and Reno, NV, to go to underprivileged families. The combined donation includes a handpicked selection of books, puzzles, plush toys, board games, electronic games, infant toys and many more fun and educational toys and games. “Barnes & Noble has always been committed to the communities it serves, and this year we’re proud to announce our significant donation to the Toys for Tots Foundation,” said Demos Parneros, Chief Executive Officer at Barnes & Noble, Inc. “The holiday season can be a tough time for families in need and we sincerely hope that this donation makes the holidays a little happier for those who need help.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Boise Paper announced three winners in the 2017 Give the Gift of Box Tops Sweepstakes. Waterford Montessori Academy of Waterford, MI; St. Labre Indian Elementary School of Ashland, MT; and R.E. Baker Elementary School of Bentonville, AR, will each receive 10,000 Bonus Box Tops and 400 reams of paper to benefit their students and staff in 2018. “Our Give the Gift of Box Tops Sweepstakes is a fun way for us to engage and connect with local schools in the communities our customers and employees call home,” said Paul LeBlanc, vice president of Boise Paper. “We are proud to fulfill our Paper with Purpose promise by presenting these three schools with an unexpected gift this holiday season!” Click Read More below for additional information.

At outlets that report to NPD BookScan, unit sales of print books were down 1% in the week ended Dec. 3, 2017, from the similar week in 2016. This was the second consecutive week in the holiday season that sales were lower than at the same time last year; the previous week saw a 2% decline from the similar week in 2016. The only major category in which sales rose was juvenile nonfiction: units were 5% higher than in the week ended Dec. 4, 2016. Harry Potter: A Journey Through a History of Magic by the British Library remained the category’s top seller, with more than 28,000 copies sold in the week. Among books that posted solid gains in the week were Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes by Rob Elliott, which sold more than 13,000 copies to land in fifth place on the category bestsellers list, and How to Draw 101 Animals by Dan Green, which was in sixth place with almost 13,000 copies sold. Both the adult categories had lower sales than in the similar week in 2016. Click Read More below for additional information.

In recent years, there has been an explosion of data breaches in the financial, business and health care sectors. This has made people everywhere sit up and take notice about where and how their important personal data is stored. It is not surprising then, that the recent Toluna survey commissioned by Two Sides revealed that 78% of U.S. respondents keep hard copies of important documents at home as they believe this is the safest and most secure way of storing their information. A similar number (76%) are increasingly concerned that personal information held electronically is at risk of being hacked, stolen, lost or damaged. For a taste of what these digital breaches can look like, check out a few examples covered in this blog. Millions of small businesses, households and patients are affected by data breaches every year. While moving from paper to digital records seems like it should save time and energy, the reverse can also be true. Click Read More below for additional information.

More details have emerged regarding the future of W magazine, a month after parent company Condé Nast announced it would reduce the frequency of the fashion magazine and a number of the company's other print titles. WWD is now reporting that W magazine is dropping from the 10 issues printed this year to eight “volumes” in 2018, as well as increasing its newsstand price to $9.99 an issue, up from $7.99. It is all part of the magazine’s effort to produce collectible, special issues. Click Read More below for additional information.

Retailers and consumers aren’t the only ones who think the holiday season is the “most wonderful time of the year.” With consumers stepping up the frequency of online shopping this holiday season, thieves are getting more brazen, and ready to pilfer home deliveries. And they have been honing their craft, as nearly one in five (19%) of homeowners in the United States were the victim of a package theft in the last year, according to a study from connected home security provider Ring. One in two homeowners (26%) receive a delivery at least once a week, and 24% receive packages multiple times a week. Yet, 73% of homeowners said carriers leave the deliveries on their front porch — in clear view of passers-by, especially criminals. Click Read More below for additional information.

Great Place to Work and FORTUNE have named Old Navy one of the 2017 Best Workplaces for Diversity. The ranking considered more than 440,000 employee surveys from organizations in a wide range of industries across the U.S. Great Place to Work, a research and consulting firm, evaluated more than 50 elements of team members’ experience on the job. These included professional development, behaviors linked to innovation, leadership confidence and consistent treatment among employees of different backgrounds. The ranking also accounted for the share of women, people of color, Baby Boomers and LGBT individuals in the workplace. Old Navy was also named to the 2017 “Best Workplaces in Retail” list. Click Read More below for additional information.

Rejecting requests by lawmakers and advocates, the Federal Communications Commission says it will proceed with next week's scheduled vote on whether to repeal the net neutrality rules. On Monday, the City of New York and 40 advocacy groups urged the FCC to hold off on a vote until after a federal appellate court decides whether a different agency -- the Federal Trade Commission -- has authority to bring consumer protection cases against broadband providers. Also on Monday, a group of 28 U.S. senators, along with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, urged publicly urged the FCC to hold off on a vote due to problems with the public commenting process. "While I fundamentally disagree with the merits of the FCC’s proposal, what is equally concerning is the lack of integrity to the FCC’s process that has led to this point," Rosenworcel stated. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Postal Regulatory Commission is proposing that publishers’ postal rates increase by an estimated average of 34% to 41% over the next five years. The postage increases would be lower than average for magazines that use co-mail and higher than average for less efficient mailers. The PRC announced its proposal to bail out the U.S. Postal Service with future rate hikes late Friday. The vote on a final version seems likely to occur in spring of 2018, giving mailers, the USPS, and other interested parties time to comment. The PRC’s 10th-anniversary review of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) concluded that the postal-reform legislation had met some of its goals – but not the one calling for stabilization of the Postal Service’s finances. As a result, the commissioners concluded, they must override the law’s inflation-based cap on most postal rates. Many mailers’ groups disagree with the PRC’s interpretation of the law, saying the agency must have Congress’s explicit approval to breach the price cap. A legal challenge to the PRC’s final plan seems likely, which could delay implementation until 2019. Click Read More below for additional information.

HIGHLIGHTS: • Revenue increased 6% to $452 million; +3% at constant currency • Adjusted EPS increased 32% to $1.03; +22% at constant currency. EPS on a GAAP basis at $1.04, up from ($0.20) • Free Cash Flow less Product Development Spending for six months improved by $38 million • Brian A. Napack named as President and CEO. “The second quarter was highlighted by the announcement of Brian Napack as our new President and CEO and Ella Balagula as our new EVP of Publishing. We also realized improved growth in Research, better than expected results in Publishing, and significant progress in our operational excellence initiatives,” said Matthew Kissner, Chairman. “This month, we celebrate 210 years of enabling many of the world’s advances in research and learning. While we are immensely proud of our legacy, we are just as energized by the opportunities ahead of us.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Meredith Corporation is pleased to announce that Martha Stewart Living has been named to Ad Age's Magazines of the Year list. Led by Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Graves and VP/Group Publisher Daren Mazzucca, Martha Stewart Living has had a phenomenal year with both readers and advertisers. The brand debuted a magazine redesign with the October issue, revealing exclusive typography, fresh and enlarged imagery, and a number of new cross-platform franchises. The look is now modern and forward-thinking, yet still timeless, classic and always aiming to create trends rather than follow them. It's the Martha Stewart Living that millions of people love, but now even more. "It's truly an honor to be part of Ad Age's 'Magazines of the Year' list," says Graves. "It's exciting to build upon Martha's trusted expertise, take the brand to new heights, and have that recognized in the industry." Adds Mazzucca, "We have an incredible team, and I think we are only getting started." Click Read More below for additional information.

Meredith Corporation is pleased to announce that The Magnolia Journal has been named to Ad Age's "Magazines of the Year" list. In its first year on newsstands, The Magnolia Journal has showcased the monumental presence and impact of Chip and Joanna Gaines and their Magnolia brand. With only five quarterly issues published to date, this magazine's launch was one of if not the best in Meredith Corporation's 115-year history, raising its rate base to 1.2 million for the Spring 2018 issue. Click Read More below for additional information.

It’s been a rather tumultuous year for magazine media, to say the least. With so many consumers reading content on digital platforms, it appears that many publishers are reducing print frequencies or altogether shuttering print editions of magazines to focus on digital initiatives and cut costs. While most publishers seem to be drifting away from print, Bauer Media Group is doing just the opposite. In 2018, the media giant is not only continuing its print editions, but also increasing frequencies for four of its titles, with Life & Style slated to rise from 51 to 53 issues, and Closer, In Touch and Woman’s World from 52 to 53 issues. “Bauer earns a positive margin on every issue from single copy sales,” Bauer CEO Steven Kotok (pictured) tells Folio:. “So the more issues we publish, the more money we earn, unlike an ad-dependent model in which fewer ads each year are spread over the same number of issues.” Click Read More below for additional information.

In an interesting and potentially significant move for the scholarly publishing world, the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada has granted a preliminary injunction against a major journal publisher and conference organizer in response to a complaint by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The injunction was granted on the basis of the Court’s analysis of evidence provided by the FTC and its finding that the FTC’s complaint, if allowed to proceed, “is likely to succeed on the merits” and that the public interest would be served by granting it. The FTC alleges that OMICS Group and its affiliates iMedPub LLC and Conference Series Ltd have engaged in a variety of “unfair and deceptive practices with respect to the publication of online academic journals and organization of scientific conferences,” including: •Falsely claiming to provide rigorous peer review of articles submitted for publication in their journals; •Claiming as “editors” individuals who never received manuscripts to review or edit, or who never even agreed to be appointed as editors — some of whom say that OMICS ignored or refused their demands that they be removed from journal mastheads; •Sending solicitations to potential authors on behalf of other academics, without the latter’s permission or knowledge; •Giving their journals names “nearly identical to other respected journals, which has led to consumers mistakenly submitting articles to Defendants’ journal”; Click Read More below for additional information.