Mix and match magazine service

Introducing a new business model to the world of magazine selling, Time Inc just launched Maghound, a mix and match service for periodicals. Maghound members don’t subscribe to a fixed set of magazines. Instead, they pick the number of magazines they’d like to receive every month, and can then change the selection of titles as often as they like. One month they might select Food & Wine, Forbes and Women’s Health, before switching to People, New York Magazine and Smithsonian. (While the current selection of 200 titles isn’t as substantial as many magazine lovers would like, it does obviously include magazines that aren’t owned by Time Inc.) Freedom of choice extends to membership terms, too–customers don’t have to commit to an annual contract and can cancel at any time. And pricing is tiered: USD 4.95 for three titles a month, USD 7.95 for five, USD 9.95 for seven titles, and USD 1 per title for eight or more titles. To keep track of their mix of magazines, members can view expected delivery dates in their online account. The service, which is currently in beta, aims to offer consumers flexibility, choice and control. By letting members sample titles as they please, while enjoying the convenience of home delivery, Maghound should appeal to trysumers–those fickle and transient consumers who enjoy trying new things, empowered by an abundance of choice and the relatively low cost of potential disappointment. (Other business concepts for trysumers that we’ve covered include fractional super car ownership and a taste lab restaurant.) One to bring to your local magazine market? Spotted by: Jasmine Leblanc