THE RISE OF THE ECONOMIST

The Economist is a model that many publishers would like to emulate when it comes to circulation. In the United Kingdom it has enjoyed a massive 58 consecutive rises in its ABC audited circulation, while globally it has recorded a 95% circulation growth in just 10 years.
One reason, as far as I can see, is that it's hard to find a newsagent that doesn't have copies on the shelves.
I'm in the U.K. for Christmas and the New Year right now, and even my local, out-of-the-way, 7-Eleven-style shop has two copies on the shelves.
I can only imagine the distribution costs involved in supplying copies to this level of shops, not only in the U.K. but around the world, but it's got to be a significant factor behind the continued success of this global magazine. You just don't see copies of magazines like Time, Newsweek, Bloomberg Businessweek, Fortune, etc, in anywhere near these numbers.