Reader’s Digest Ends in NZ

After 75 years in print, Reader’s Digest New Zealand has announced it will no longer produce a printed version of its magazine.

From now on, the magazine will only be available online. This decision follows a steep drop in sales during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The magazine was once a familiar sight in airports, cafes, and grandparents’ homes. It began in the United States and became popular worldwide, reaching 51 countries and being printed in 21 languages at its peak.

Sheron White, the general manager for Reader’s Digest in Asia Pacific, explained that the print version had become too expensive to continue. In New Zealand, the magazine once sold up to 150,000 copies, but sales fell to around 30,000 after travel stopped during the pandemic.

“Covid killed the magazine,” said White. With fewer people flying and visiting newsstands, fewer copies were being bought. However, she shared that there is a positive side. Reader’s Digest will now be free to read online, with about 90,000 Kiwis already signed up to its email newsletter.

White said the magazine’s stories are still meant to be short, uplifting, and emotional. Popular past editions included stories about the British royal family and a dramatic car crash involving TV presenter Richard Hammond.

Subscribers were informed about the change through letters, newspapers, and social media, as Reader’s Digest aims to keep its readers fully informed during this shift to digital-only publishing.