MEDIA RELEASE
8 NOVEMBER 2006
MAG NATION
More Magazines Than You’ve Ever Seen
mag•a•zine: n. periodical containing collections of articles, stories, pictures, or other features
mag•na•tion: n. a world first retail concept
mag nation is creating an entirely new world of magazines at two new stores across Auckland City. Offering more
magazines than you’ve ever seen, a unique business approach and sophisticated surroundings, mag nation is a retail hot
spot for anyone with an interest in anything!
mag nation was previously known as Mega Mags - owned and operated for the last six years by Ravi and Suchi Pathare in
the Auckland CBD. Over this time the Queen Street store has become an iconic store serving the niche interests of
thousands of Aucklanders and out of town visitors.
Ravi Pathare, an ex medical consultant and one of the managing directors of mag nation, is an expert in the magazine
industry. He has an unsurpassed knowledge of the product as well as significant experience in retail, supplier
management and route to market. Suchi has been the face of Mega Mags for several years and knows both the product and
customers intimately. Her expertise is consumer insight and has been instrumental in delivering impeccable customer
service.
Ravi and Suchi are now acting on their vision to establish a chain of specialist retail outlets across New Zealand and
Australia to fuel the consumers’ growing addiction for magazines. They have been joined by Sahil Merchant, a lawyer and
ex McKinsey & Co management consultant. Sahil specialises in retail and consumer goods and brings with him extensive experience in
sales, marketing and process engineering as well as having hands on experience with the recent and very successful
opening of the Melbourne mag nation store.
Ravi Pathare explains, “Everything in our store can be touched, felt and browsed. We have created a space where people
can spend an hour at lunch, after work, before a movie or while their partner is shopping. They can linger over all the
latest magazines and enjoy browsing the widest range of great new titles without that feeling of guilt that many
customers associate with flicking through magazines.”
“Some of the so called “retail gurus” out there think we’re crazy to encourage browsing, but we’re confident that by
providing a stress free environment for our customers, we’ll see them staying for longer, coming back to the store more
often and purchasing the new titles they have discovered if and when they are ready,” says Sahil Merchant.
mag nation only recently opened its first store in Melbourne to an incredible response (listed as one the top 20 coolest
companies in Australia by magazine ‘Australian Anthill’, issue # 17 – Aug/Sept 2006) and has two stores in Auckland –
one in Westfield St Lukes and the other in Queen Street. Both have been designed to reflect maximum shelving space for
the biggest selection of magazines in New Zealand and are operated by knowledgeable staff who are passionate about every
title they stock – from the weird, wonderful to the wild and wacky!
“mag nation is seen as progressive magazine experts. We are edgy, funky, and different. And if we don’t stock the title
you are after, we will go the extra mile to try and secure it for you”, says Ravi
They are creating a magazine revolution targeting all people who really want to experience and get emotionally involved
rather than simply “transact” over a magazine. With a range of titles satisfying nearly every niche interest, in
addition to mainstream magazines, mag nation is for everyone with a passion for anything.
Customers can find the perfect gift for someone special by way of a magazine subscription or gift voucher. Both stores
are open seven days a week, from 8:00 am till late.
www.magnation.com.au
ENDS.