MAGAZINE SALES DATA MADE PUBLIC

The number of copies any magazine sells through a particular bookshop is a closely guarded secret, thanks to the lack of circulation auditing, however it's often not too difficult to find out - if you know what to look for.

In the first week of the month most shops will begin the process of returning unsold magazines. In some cases, as in the one I experienced last weekend, the number of sold and returned copies is pretty much available for anyone to see.

What I witnessed and was allowed to closely inspect was a pile of unsold magazines waiting to be returned - with paper slips showing the number of sold copies alongside the number of copies to be returned clearly on view. This is by no means the first time I've seen this.

The example I will use relates to a Thai language teenage and young women magazine. A total of 90 copies were supplied to this particular outlet. Twelve copies were being returned, meaning and impressive 78 had been sold. 

I believe most publishers in Thailand would be happy with this kind of sell-through rate for this number of magazines, as would most advertisers if this level of sales was replicated throughout the country.