Why REI Swapped Its Catalog for a Magazine—and What That Means for Print Media

Posted Friday, December 13, 2019 11:33 am

Gregory Scruggs | Poynter

In September, some 450,000 members of outdoor goods store REI, the largest U.S. consumer co-op, received a surprise in their mailboxes. In lieu of the typical 28-page fall catalog talking up the merits of the latest waterproof jacket or tent, the Seattle-based outdoor gear retailer mailed out the first 84-page issue of a new quarterly print magazine, Uncommon Path.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here

Scroll the Latest Job Opportunities From The Media Job Board

E&P Exclusive Reporting

The election desk: Newsrooms plan comprehensive coverage of a consequential midterm election

With the 2026 midterms fast approaching, newsrooms are preparing for an election shaped by national politics, questions about election security and voters hungry for trustworthy information. For E&P’s October cover story, Editor-in-Chief Gretchen A. Peck spoke with reporters and editors at Votebeat, The Associated Press, The Daily Beast and The Salt Lake Tribune about how they’re planning coverage before, during and after Election Day.

Waymo’s model makes the case for AI, with measurable consumer benefits

What can a self-driving car teach news publishers about AI? Quite a lot, according to Guy Tasaka. In his September E&P “Tasaka’s Tech Talk” op-ed, he argues that publishers should stop framing AI primarily as a way to cut costs and instead demonstrate how it delivers measurable benefits to readers and advertisers. Drawing lessons from Waymo’s safety record, Tasaka offers a roadmap for making AI not just more useful, but more worthy of audience trust.

Latest Legacy Magazine

#NewsPeople on the move

Axios hires Thomas Novelly as it expands defense coverage

Axios has hired Thomas Novelly to cover space and is expanding its Future of Defense newsletter to twice a week, Talking Biz News reports.

Reuters promotes Rossalyn Warren to deputy digital director

Reuters has promoted Rossalyn Warren from audience editor to deputy digital director, Talking Biz News reports.

See more NewsPeople

Latest E&P Partner News

The Villages Media Group enhances production efficiency with ProImage’s NewsWayX

The Villages Media Group has chosen ProImage’s NewsWayX to streamline its production workflow and address long-standing challenges. The installation of NewsWayX, a cloud-based workflow management solution, has enabled the company to achieve greater flexibility, efficiency and accuracy in the printing processes.

D-R Media invests in operational growth with SCS Community Advertising System

D-R Media and Investments of Venice, Florida, has selected SCS’s Community Advertising System to update and enhance its advertising and production workflows. By implementing CAS, D-R Media will benefit from a unified, organization-wide solution that supports display, classified and digital advertising operations, as well as invoicing, accounts receivable and customer account management.

Helping advertisers get found in AI search: Local media’s next revenue opportunity

As AI changes how consumers find and choose local businesses, publishers have an opportunity to help advertisers remain visible. Duda provides the technology and insights publishers need to improve discoverability, measure business results and deliver those services at scale. The result can be stronger advertiser relationships and new recurring revenue.

Why REI Swapped Its Catalog for a Magazine—and What That Means for Print Media

Comments

New E&P Partnership Optimizes Print Recruitment Ads

Yuma Sun taking workflow efficiency to the max with NewsWayX

Community-first Obituary Solution Grows Turnkey Revenue

AIM Media Deploys CuratorCrowd™ onto all Digital Properties

The election desk: Newsrooms plan comprehensive coverage of a consequential midterm election

Waymo’s model makes the case for AI, with measurable consumer benefits

Leaders must create a sense of stability during times of boundless transformation

Students suggest solutions for declining media literacy and diminished trust in news