Nuts magazine to boycott Co-op over modesty bags

Nuts has today announced that the magazine will not use ‘modesty bags’ at retail, delisting it from Co-op stores from September.

In a statement, Nuts’ publishers said it considers the Co-op’s ultimatum to be an unreasonable attempt to prevent shoppers from freely browsing a legal magazine that is already displayed according to Home Office guidelines.

“Co-op’s knee-jerk attempt to restrict access to a product that consumers have enjoyed for nearly a decade is wrong,” said publisher Paul Williams, managing director, IPC Inspire.

“Nuts takes its obligation to craft products that are right for consumers and retailers alike very seriously and for a number of weeks now we have had new covers in place, which have a more conservative tone. We are delighted with our readers’ response to the new covers and last week’s issue was our biggest selling since February.

“The objection that niche lobby groups have against certain sectors of the media should not mean that the right to purchase a perfectly legal product is restricted for the over half a million Nuts readers. As has been widely reported in the media in recent weeks, this is no longer a question of whether or not you like men’s magazines, it is a question of how far you can restrict the public’s ability to consume free and legal media before it becomes censorship.”

Nuts magazine is read by more than half a million UK adults and is worth £12.7 million per year to UK retailers.

Speaking to the Guardian, a Co-op spokesperson said: “Our position has not changed, if Nuts, or any of the other publications, Zoo, Loaded and Front, do not put their titles into modesty bags by the date we’ve given of 9 September, we will no longer sell the magazines.”