Net-a-Porter's Print Magazine Sells

Printed magazines are not obsolete--in fact, they can be powerful marketing tools for advertisers and publishers.

Case in point: Net-a-Porter's year-old Porter magazine, $10 per glossy issue and published every other month for affluent fashionistas. With 152,000 readers in 60 nations, Porter is gaining ground and helping advertisers reach a very desirable audience of women who spend $34,000 yearly on fashion.

One-quarter of the magazine's readers are in the US, 17% are in the UK (where Net-a-Porter began its e-commerce only empire), and other sizable audiences are in France, Germany, and Australia. (Figures are from the magazine's .pdf media kit, viewable here.)

Porter isn't just in print. It's also available for all digital platforms, complete with app, which is important because the magazine allows readers to scan and buy what they see, instantly. The media kit calls it "52 weeks of original shoppable content." This sales capability makes all the difference. No wonder top style brands like Chanel and Ralph Lauren want to advertise in Porter.

Not surprisingly, Porter is social-media savvy, with 47,000 Facebook likes. Net-a-Porter, founded in 2000 as an online-only upscale fashion retailer, has been owned by France's luxury firm Richemont since 2000.