Target is taking its newsstand digital. In addition to traditional print magazines sold in its brick and mortar stores, the retail giant is launching a new effort which will allow shoppers to buy electronic versions of their favorite magazines. Now you can throw a digital version of US Weekly or Elle in that virtual shopping cart along with TP and Windex. The new digital newsstand, built into Target.com, allows customers to snap up single copies of current or back issues, or order subscriptions from the convenience of their laptops or home computers. The titles can be read online via web browser or on application designed by Zinio-- which enables on or offline reading. Many of the digital magazines will be offered through Target for a discount.

Instead of developing the effort from scratch, Target tapped digital publishing firm Zinio to create the newsstand.  Zinio currently offers magazines and books from more than 350 publishers, and built out similar digital magazine newsstands on sites including Barnes & Noble’s BN.com. 

These digital magazines are a departure from reading off a typical magazine website. Though paperless, their lushly designed, archival quality mimics the print magazine reading experience. Unlike a website, they are paginated and formatted like print mags. And in terms of interactivity and features, the experience may trump print. Said Zinio CEO Richard Maggiotto, “It’s a high-fidelity, robust magazine.”

Zinio and Target will split revenue from digital magazine sales. While Zinio and Target both declined to reveal revenue goals for the effort, the partnership is a big vote of confidence for digital mags from a mainstream retailer.  Is digital reading finally coming to Main Street?  Source: Reuters, more and Target, more