SO … WHAT’S THE BUZZ?
IS IT THE UK’S SMALLEST MAGAZINE?
Julie Roberts works hard … and shops hard.
But, as recession-hit retailers close down, some local High Streets look in danger of turning into boarded-up ghost towns … “and that’s such a shame,” she says.
That’s why Julie is helping regenerate local retail businesses by encouraging people to spend money in their own south Manchester and north east Cheshire areas.
The result is ‘The Buzz’ – a handbag-sized magazine that leads the race to become the smallest of its kind in the country.
The 100-page A6 quarterly measures about 10 by 15 centimetres – a mixture of editorial features, advertising and discount vouchers.
“It’s for women who enjoy the finer things in life – but appreciate a good deal as well,” says Julie. “And the size is designed for people on the move - not as a competitor for conventional lifestyle magazines that people will always prefer to relax with at home.”
‘The Buzz’ is the first publishing venture for a 30 year-old entrepreneur who grew up in a Menai Strait tourist town and trained as a chef but made her mark with a Cheshire recruitment agency.
That’s when Julie Roberts started as a 21 year-old office junior, rose to manager and, within three years, had boosted turnover by 25 times.
So she moved into sales, in Manchester city centre, and dreamed of working for herself.
That’s how ‘The Buzz’ came about – an innovative miniature magazine that can be read in one hand, even in crowded places, and carried anywhere … in pockets or handbags.
Health, hair, beauty, restaurant and gadget features, as well as reviews and an editorial ‘what’s on guide’ are matched by money-saving discount offers which retailers will mark rather than tear out – “so the pages can stay intact through the three month life of the magazine,” says Julie.
“I’m hoping it will act as an anti-depressant to the negative ‘doom and gloom’ of recession, cheer people up with great offers and get them spending again with local retailers … and that includes me. Because I love hard work and shopping … it’s all I do.”
- ‘The Buzz’ launches in early September and 30,000 copies will be distributed free of charge to selected homes in Manchester, Chorlton, Didsbury, Salford Quays, Altrincham, Sale, Hale, Bowden, Bramhall, Poynton, Alderley Edge and Wilmslow as well as hotels and leisure venues in Manchester and Chester city centres.