In class, in preparation for our own music magazines, we was told to go to a newspaper or magazine stand to see their placement. For the task I went to Sainsbury's local Gants Hill, and because it is a small branch they don't sell many music magazines, only one; Empire. When I look at the presentation of the magazines, firstly I notice the masthead and then I notice the cover image. I think magazines are designed like this so that if you're going in the shop quickly, you can see exactly what you're looking for really easily.
They use sale or return which is expensive and wasteful for the publisher and the environment but its beneficial to the retailer as there is no risk or wastage to them. They could do online distribution which reduces waste and it's much more cheap. Direct distribution such as free magazines which are usually given out at train or bus stations include NME, they make profits solely from advertisement so expect much less content than if you was paying for a magazine. You could also subscribe to a magazine and have it delivered directly to your doorstep or inbox at a heavily discounted price which will be beneficial to the customer.
Eleanor
this is really brief! Which other design features did you notice had been devised particularly to suit the layout of a newsstand? And other distribution methods? Vanessa
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