Mike Luckwell buys struggling title from Jon Moulton's private equity company, Better Capital, with plan to target over-50sReader's Digest has been sold for just £1 to Mike Luckwell, whose previous major investments have included Bob the Builder creator HIT Entertainment and WPP.Jon Moulton's private equity company, Better Capital, has offloaded Reader's Digest UK – the waiting room staple that was once the biggest selling magazine in the world – after investing tens of millions of pounds into trying to rejuvenate the struggling business.Luckwell, the venture capitalist whose personal fortune is estimated at more than £135m, has acquired the title with the aim of targeting the "frisky over-50s" group that holiday and insurance company Saga has built a successful business on."Saga cleverly focused on holidays and the financial sector for the over-50s, but now has a finger in many pies," Luckwell said. "Today it has annual sales running into hundreds of millions – that merits a bit of competition."Luckwell said the acquisition will provide access to a database of more than 1.5 million names, of which only 9% have recently purchased a Reader's Digest product."There is significant potential to further develop and utilise those large databases," he said.Better Capital took the business out of administration in a £13m management buy-out in April 2010, and has since ploughed a further £23m into the company.The investment failed to fuel a turnaround at the title, which no longer... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2014-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pope Who? White smoke over the Vatican doesn't stand a chance as a trending topic next to the black cloud over one of Google's most beloved products. Google Reader has landed on the company's sunset list, and will wink out of existence on July 1. Problem is, Reader is not as widely beloved as... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In the UK a new ebook platform Boosh will allow readers to share an ebook with a fellow Facebook user to read for free after its read and deleted from their own account. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After reader pushback, The New York Times’ magazine is looking to include more ethnicities, and the larger media landscape should, too. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2013-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new book cover for the classic novel 'Anne of Green Gables,' showing Anne as a blonde without freckles lounging in a plaid shirt, has Amazon users up in arms. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The extra focus publishers have started to put on producing beautiful hardbacks has borne fruit,... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two US book buyers are suing cyclist Lance Armstrong and his publishers Random House US and... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Think you can finish a 168-page novel in a month? It might pay to opt for Amazon's new Kindle rental feature, now available on an incredibly limited number of titles. A few options published by Princeton University Press appear to represent the site's introductory offering. The 5 Elements of... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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McDonald's has launched a two-year children’s books campaign, committing to "hand... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing is doing all it can to convince people to buy books and read, but still 47% of Americans don't. It's time to try something radical: let's start with men. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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John Lewis has reported a 45% increase in sales of e-readers over the Christmas period, compared... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury, with its new Just Great Reads promotion, is running what it is calling the "first ever" global marketing campaign targeted expressly at readers who favor devices. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-12-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sony has opened an e-reader store in Germany, selling digital titles in eight different... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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More than 1,000 library staff will lose their jobs in the next 12 months, according to a new... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-12-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Welcome to the Engadget holiday gift guide! Picking presents for friends and loved ones is never a simple task, and with thousands of options for each category, buying technology can be an especially frustrating experience. We're here to help. Below you'll find today's bevy of curated picks, and... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-11-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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McGraw-Hill has signed an agreement to sell its education business, McGraw-Hill Education, to investment firm Apollo Global Management for $2.5 billion. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-11-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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One of the biggest-selling hardback books in the UK has topped the Kindle chart, selling for just... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-11-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Retailers are reporting strong customer demand for their newly available e-readers, boosting... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-11-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-readers are devices for reading electronic books, or ebooks. Here's a rundown of their basic features: Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2012-11-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ziff Davis valuation is way up in the clouds. The tech-centric publisher has been sold to j2 Global, Inc., a business cloud services company, for $167 million, the companies announced today. The cash purchase is expected to yield j2 $60 million in 2013 revenues, said officials. Formerly a... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2012-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple's new iPad Mini is the best small tablet on the market and makes an amazing e-reader; the only problems are its not-so-hi-res screen and it's not-quite-low-enough price tag. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-11-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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