As the summer visitors arrive, smaller towns get an uplift and local stores multiply their sales numbers. Magazine sales also increase considerably during the summer months.

Nauvo is a vibrant island community with agriculture and travel as its main sources of livelihood. Nauvo has 1,500 permanent residents but the number grows to 10,000 during the summer season.

– The summer has a great impact on both our operations and our sales, multiplying the number of customers and sales if compared to winter. We also hire more people and extend our opening hours and range of goods, says market manager Tiina Lejonqvist from Sale Nauvo.

– Magazine sales multiply in the summer, underlining the importance of keeping our magazine section in top shape. As the magazine section features an extensive selection with limited space, it has to be tended to daily to keep the shelves looking their best and featured items readily available. Our bestsellers are tabloids and home, garden and boating magazines Crosswords grow in importance as they are more in demand during the high season, as are publications made for children. Paperbacks also sell well; in the comfort of your summerhouse, a traditional book is a great alternative to virtual readers. International magazines and Swedish newspapers and magazines also warrant a mention as their sales numbers go up significant during the summer season.

Inhabited by 35,000 people, Savonlinna is a city in eastern Finland that welcomes more than a half a million travellers each year. Department manager Kirsi Lyytinen from K-Citymarket Savonlinna explains that during the summer, sales may double compared to the more quiet months. In Savonlinna, there are two high seasons: the summerhouse season and the Opera Festival. Paperbacks and crosswords are popular with the summerhouse visitors, whereas tabloids and newspapers are a festival goers’ top choice.

– We carry a wide range of magazines and international publications throughout the year. Even though we have a considerably large selection of crosswords, we still add more products during the summer for specific displays, explains Piia Sahlberg who tends to the magazine section.

– We put extra effort on the appearance of the shelves as the section is located in the immediate vicinity of the entrance. The excellent location also contributes to impulse buys, especially during the summer when the magazine shelves are crowded by summerhouse visitors who have actually become familiar to us over the years. In fact, many have given us positive feedback on our selections, rejoices Valpuri Luostarinen who also tends to the magazine section.

Left: Sale Nauvo’s market manager Tiina Lejonqvist, right: S Group management trainee Jaakko Pärnä.

K-Citymarket Savonlinna’s magazine section managers Piia Sahlberg and Valpuri Luostarinen.