Today’s New York Post announces that All You Magazine will cease publication with its December issue:
Time Inc. is shutting down All You. It marks the first magazine to close since Joe Ripp took over as CEO 18 months and began moving the publishing behemoth to become a more board based media company.
The decision to shutter All You comes on the same day Ripp confirmed that the company is buying Hello Giggles, a social media and Web site aimed at millennial women. The purchase was for an estimated $20 million, according to The Wall Street Journal, which reported the Giggles acquisition on Sunday.
I can’t say I’m too surprised at this. All You was known as “the magazine with coupons” for over a decade. In recent years, the number and quality of its coupons have declined, disappointing its coupon-enthusiastic readerbase. In April of this year, All You made a confusing editorial choice and published an article encouraging readers to purchase coupons on Ebay.
After this incident, I heard from quite a few readers who cancelled their subscriptions. I cancelled mine too and wrote a post explaining to readers why I would no longer promote All You. I also heard from a couple of brands that formerly place advertisements and coupons in the magazine, noting they could not continue buying advertising space in a magazine that encouraged coupon fraud.
Despite cancelling my subscription and writing several emails to All You’s blogger affiliate team, All You has continued sending me the magazine. I noted that the new November issue has no coupons at all. Now, with today’s announcement, December’s issue will be the final All You. I do not yet know what will happen to active All You subscriptions — I suspect Time may substitute another magazine in its portfolio to finish out whatever remaining issues subscribers have.
I also suspect that the All You staff itself may not have known about today’s news ahead of time. I just received an email on October 15th encouraging me to share their $1/issue subscription special with my readers and “Subscribe to All You for just $1/issue and receive a FREE Spooky Sweets Recipe Guide!” through October 26th, 2015:.
And, this morning, I got another email asking me to renew my subscription for $1 per issue — the same day the magazine announced its closure?!
wolverine70 says
A shame this magazine declined. It was really good when it came out, then Time starting using freelancers and quit investing in it. If they substitute another publication instead of refunding, I’ll ask for a refund. They have little else worthy in their portfolio of publications.
Coupon Maven says
I agree – I liked it a lot too when it was good. It lost its cohesiveness and the issues have had a very pieced-together feel for months now.
And yes, I’d ask for a refund if you can get it, even if it’s only a few bucks. If Time has $20 million to buy a humor website, I think they could make good on refunding remaining All You subscriptions…
VeraG says
I started receiving All You in the mail back in May, I have no clue why I did nor subscribe and it was not a gift. Per the sticker it does not expire until 2017? I had long ago stopped my subscription and buying it at the checkout. Crazy!!
Southernreverie says
According to Coupons in the News today, ” the company will offer a replacement Time-owned magazine, to fill out the balance of existing subscriptions.”
Genie Mastropierro says
I have subscribed for years and I too had an offer over the holidays to renew and give a gift. I almost did it so I could send my sister the free subscription. So glad I did not. I also think it is a farce that most people have subscriptions that have not ended. Mine is 4-16 and they have not even had the good business practice of letting we, who have been long time supporters , know what was going on. Hard to get in touch with them also. What a rip off!@
Coupon Maven says
I’m glad you posted this. All You had -said- that existing subscriptions were supposed to receive a new magazine in place of All You to take its place. I cannot recall receiving anything new in January after the December issue of All You came.
genie says
I called today and was told the story of a different magazine offer was to come by mail. When I replied I had not received any and my magazine is paid for up to April 2016 the girl told me that some people have received them and mine is probably in the mail! She also added that after I got the offer I could request a refund if I did not want the other magazine! Strange way to do business!
SSMark1 says
I took advantage of Jill’s $5 year subscription deal about 2 years ago think it would pay for itself many times over with the coupons in each issue.
I didn’t use any coupons from those 12 issues, and in fact, the coupons declines with each passing month.
The subscription ran out, and then they sent me a survey for a $5 Amazon gift card.
So I ripped them a new one and got my $5 gift card..
Funny how things work out sometimes.
-Mark
SSMark1 says
It’s funny that I keep getting renewal notices to come back in the mail, even though I clearly stated why I did NOT renew when my subscription ran out on that survey.
-Mark
stonesfan80 says
I was wondering why I hadn’t received an issue of All You since December. Guess now I know why. I was never sent anything about them ceasing publication. I think I was paid up through next year sometime. Guess I’ll be eating that money that I spent. Too bad. I really liked that magazine.
Coupon Maven says
I would advise calling and requesting a refund. They originally said they would finish out people’s subscriptions with a “comparable magazine,” but no one seems to have received a substitute yet.
Genie Mastropierro says
When I called they said a refund would be offered after I receive the free magazine offer “which was in the mail” and if I did not want the magazine a refund could be collected. That was over a week ago and the “in the mail” offer has not arrived yet. I have a feeling when I call again they will not be there. What a rip off. According to items I have read the publisher stopped publishing as of end of Oct. I received all kinds of insentives to renew well after that and almost fell for free gift of magazine for Christmas if I renewed for another year. Can’t trust anyone!!!
Vanessa iglesias says
I am so disappointed in the ALL YOU magazine team. They must have known for months that this was going to happen. I ordered my subscription through a high school fund raising campaign. So basically, I paid for something that was not delivered. An alternative replacement magazine has not been offered to me. They should be ashamed of themselves for doing this to all of us. I guess a bad reputation doesn’t matter to them. How shameful!
LYN POUPAKIS says
I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THIS MAGAZINE UNTIL I JUST CAME ACROSS THE DECEMBER 2015 ISSUE. MY SUBSCRIPTION WASN’T TO END UNTIL DECEMBER 2018. I DID NOT RECEIVE A REFUND OR A REPLACEMENT MAGAZINE. GUESS IT IS TOO LATE FOR EITHER.
Dorothea says
My mom was in a bad car accident in September of 2015. As she recovered she asked for ” all you ” magazine to be the only magazine to renew. I renewed it in January from the magazine renewal that arrived at the end of Jan 2016 and they cashed the check on feb the 28 Whet is a number to get a call in to them?
Jill Gavioli says
I received a post card back in April and it stated that AY is no longer being published and would issue me Real Simple for the remaining issues. They said it would take 9 months for me to receive a copy of Real Simple. I find this time frame strange. 9 months would take me up until January 2017. I really enjoyed All You and so have my friends, very disappointing it is not being published anymore.
Genie Mastropierro says
I too got the 9 month wait. Seemed strange but I have gotten the magazine. They only had to satisfy a few months It will end in the fall. However they are also begging for me to subscribe to the magazine which replaced ALL YOU. With the way they handled the whole All You deal I will never subscribe to the magazines they publish. Not good customer service