First Issue Review: Stuff

Dennis Publishing’s new men’s title Stuff is in the shops today * Dennis Magazine Details Emerge, claiming to herald a new genre of magazine combining the content of both a lifestyle and special interest title.

Stuff is a mine of information about all those things that men supposedly need to buy, and probably need advice in doing so. The range of topics is enormous, including which is the best credit card deal currently available, a guide on identifying quality bananas, and then on to where the best deals on champagne can be found. Of course as with most men’s titles these days the ‘laddish’ edge is kept: scantily clad women frequently appear but quality of content does not suffer for this. This really is a new concept of magazine – with more disposable income available men are becoming increasingly significant consumers and there should be an audience ready to welcome this new title. Stuff certainly believes so and has assembled a very strong team of contributors. Each section is lead by well known writers, from Quentin Wilson on motors, The Sunday Times’ Nick Gardener on finance and that well known tippler Michael Jackson writing on food and booze.

The odds of survival would seem to be in Stuff‘s favour. The current growth in the men’s titles sector proves that there is still room for growth and that gaps are there to be filled. According to its research the target audience of ABC1 men aged 25-44 certainly seem interested in a title that can combine the Loaded-style and the knowledge of Which? but have a broader outlook.

Stuff will be published bi-monthly with the second edition on sale in February 1997. It has an initial circulation target of 50,000.

* MediaTel subscribers only