I missed it when published last month, but in this article at AudienceDevelopment.com, circulation consultant Linda Ruth describes how Barnes & Noble and Borders use their warehouse operations to replenish magazines as copies are sold. The mutual goal is constant inventory (promoting awareness and, ideally, purchase) as well as a high sell-through rate.
Of course, it helps in this case that the retail outlets are owned by the company responsible for the distribution. With the magazine industry stuck selling perhaps one in three newsstand copies, the BN sell-through target of 60% or higher is both fiscally and environmentally appealing.
