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Now, ShopSmart, for women who buy A different kind of shopping title, without ads Aug 2, 2006 It's been a dicey time for shopping magazines, with two folding this year so far, Cargo and Budget Living, and things could get tougher still with the launch this week of a new title from the publishers of Consumer Reports. ShopSmart, which arrived on newsstands yesterday, is a slick, chic and simple shopping magazine for women. But unlike the leading women's titles, the magazine is ad-free, its content and advice devoid of advertiser bias or the appearance of it. That could make it a serious rival for readers across a range of women's titles, from lifestyle and service to shelter, electronics, food and beauty titles. Like Consumer Reports, ShopSmart tests every product it features. But unlike the parent title, it skips the complex charts and ratings and simply tells readers what to buy in everything from toasters to digital cameras, granola bars and facial masks. Consumer Reports figures there's room on the market for a title that delivers the straight scoop on everyday products women use. "It's probably an unusual time to try out a shopping magazine when several have folded," says ShopSmart editor-in-chief Lisa Lee Freeman. "But we have a unique presence in the marketplace. "The other magazines are covering home decorating, shopping and beauty, but we're writing about the products you actually shop for day in and day out, from toothpaste to wine to washing machines." Freeman says ShopSmart was born of two ideas: a best of Consumer Reports and a Reports tailored for women. ShopSmart melds the concepts, hoping to attract a younger demographic and a more female one than Reports. ShopSmart will target a 30-plus demographic. The parent title, with a circulation of 4.1 million, is 60 percent male and skews older. ShopSmart launches with a 800,000 newsstand-only distribution. The initial issue will be followed with a winter 2006 edition, with plans to go quarterly next year. Freeman says Consumers Union, the non-profit parent, may look to offer subscriptions and increase the frequency depending on the market response. The group is planning to promoting ShopSmart with a cable and broadcast promotional tour, national and local print ads, in-store promotions and on satellite television and radio. And Freeman is expecting that, with women doing the bulk of the purchasing and spending 7.4 hours per week shopping, there will be wide appeal. "With Consumer Reports, it's filled with a lot of detailed information, and it's great for people who want to do a lot of research," she says. "We found there are a lot of women out there who don't have a lot of time and who are the purchasing agents for their households. It's just: here is what to buy, and in some cases, what not to buy." In addition to listing top products, the magazine strays into service with stories like how to pick the best paint color for your house, find real organic beauty products or make a home child-safe. The conversational tone reads like a women's magazine, and the design is clean and colorful. Through seven sections—kitchen, home and yard, electronics, looking good, food, family and autos—the editors list both high- and lower-end products that work. They take a certain glee in debunking the mystique of $550 vacuum cleaners and pricey but problem-ridden refrigerators. Freeman says including service writing and how-to information in the mix is the answer to research demonstrating that women demand more than just product listings. "Women told us, do the research for us, and tell us what to buy, and show us how it fits into our homes," she says. But while it's saturated with that one-woman-to-another tone of service titles, the magazine draws on the reporters and testers already at Consumer Reports. That might draw in some readers who are weary of advertising infiltrating editorial suggestions in their shopping, lifestyle and service magazines. Freeman, who came to Consumer Reports by way of CosmoGIRL and Working Woman, says that in a tough market for magazine advertising, that's a growing problem. "When I started in the business, the church and state thing was much more firmly entrenched. Now magazines are partnering advertising with editorial more and more," she says. "I think consumers do notice."
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