In photos: The newsagents keeping print alive

Huck 83 is available to purchase online in all good newsagents and online now.

Roll up. Huck 83 has just hit the shelves, landing in our favourite corner shops, newsagents and boutique magazine stores across the UK, USA and beyond.

Huck turns 20 this year. It’s no secret that in that time, print magazines and sellers have had a lot to contend with. We are living in the so-called ​“attention economy” now, and this should catch yours: in the few months since our last issue was published, at least two of our stockists (Magma in Seven Dials and Brixton News) have closed down in London alone – casualties of rising rents, shifting high streets and a retail landscape that increasingly favours big chains. 

The better news? People have been anticipating the death of print for as long as Huck has been around – it hasn’t happened. If anything, it seems that the longer people spend online, the less they want to be there. Step inside a good newsagent and you’ll still find people browsing, discovering new titles, and chatting across the counter. These shops remain community hubs, representing a steadfast stand for physical media in a world pushing us onto our screens.

To mark the arrival of Huck 83, we visited a handful of London newsies that stock the mag, and spoke to the people behind the counters about why readers still reach for print. In the same week that Meta officially scrapped their $80 billion Metaverse project, and Elon Musk was found liable for intentionally defrauding Twitter shareholders, we’d urge you to walk to your local offy, or hop on the bus to a magazine stand and pick up a copy with your own hands. 

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Good News – 23 Berwick Street, Soho

Why are people still buying print mags?

Nick, 26: People still like physical products, especially between the ages of 30 and 50. They still want physical – they like to feel the magazine, to feel the paper. And then they want to save it for the future. 

Why should we be supporting our local newsagents?

We’ve been here for a long, long time, so we need support from our customers. 

I’ve been here four years, but my dad, 25 years. I’m the third generation; my grandad started the business in 1998.

Why should people buy the new issue of Huck?

Huck is a great magazine, to be honest. I’m going to probably sell out in like a week. So get it before it goes!

Shreeji Newsagent – 6 Chiltern Street, Marylebone

Why are people still buying print mags?

James, 22: They offer something a little bit different, something a little bit more thought out. 

If you’re on social media, everything is syphoned through applications – Instagram, TikTok, whatever. They all have their own regulations and that affects the format and the art. But with magazines that you can see, especially modern ones, there’s such a clear and streamlined artistic vision that’s unique to each one. 

Why should we be supporting our local newsagent?

You don’t want to be without them – it’s a hub of community that I’m hoping you’re seeing right now. And we love to help people find what they’re looking for. It’s just a nice place to be. 

How have mags changed in the last two decades?

Not that I was around two decades ago, but they’ve had to become more specialised, because of the way the industry has gone. Everything looks and feels completely unique.

There are less people buying magazines – that’s just a fact – but it’s allowed magazines that are still going to find their niches and build a stronger community around them. 

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Hamdy’s – 167 Stoke Newington High St, Stoke Newington

Why are people still buying print mags?

Faruk, 63: Demand has gone down a bit, because of social media. The reason people are still buying them – they say they feel more satisfied when they read the mags. 

We’ve got one customer who would buy so many magazines, spending £20, £30, £70. The only reason, they said? ​“I feel more happy when I read print magazines”.

Why should people visit their local newsagents?

We’ve been here for nearly 11 years. We’re a little bit down from before, but we manage to carry on. But if it continues dropping, then we have to reconsider if we can carry on. 

We have to pay the business rates, electricity, insurance, and if we don’t earn enough we have to close down. We urge people – please, please, please do come here and support. 

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Magculture – 270 St John Street, Islington

Why are people still buying print mags?

Bella, 26: People like to have something tangible. They also like to go and find something new that they might not be able to find online. 

I also think in an age of lots of censorship, magazines provide a nice alternative to that, so they’re actually really important. And just a great way to meet like-minded people who are interested in the same thing. 

Why should people support their local mag shop?

To keep us going. You’re not only supporting us, but the whole community, and there are so many people behind this. I think it’s really important for people to do their part, especially if you’re fans of magazines and want to see them thrive. 

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Ella Glossop is Huck’s social editor. Follow her on Bluesky.

Buy your copy of Huck 83 here.

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