Time Out goes free in London as buyers fall
TIME OUT has become the latest title to reinvent itself as a free publication, with its London edition set to launch across transport networks in the capital in the coming weeks.
The weekly magazine has seen fewer casual buyers in recent years, and says the move is part of a new strategy following increased traffic to its website.
“We will leap from 50,000 circulation, to over 300,000, taking Time Out’s unique editorial expertise to a huge new audience,” Time Out’s editor in chief Tim Arthur said. The move follows successful launches of free magazines Stylist and Shortlist in the capital.
Time Out’s project director Greg Miall told City A.M. that the publisher wanted to expand its reach. “We wanted to do something that’s a little bit more ambitious,” Miall said. “There are so many high quality and free titles in London, and we were looking at what the business was going to be like in five years when making this decision.”
The magazine, which publishes event listings and local information, said it will still charge for its national title.