Why Walmart Won’t Stop Selling the National Enquirer

  • Retailer handles about 23% of the National Enquirer’s sales
  • Checkout line ‘still a big business’ for Walmart: Analyst
Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg
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A decade ago, the company that distributed magazines to Walmart Inc. and other big retailers tried to impose a surcharge of 7 cents a copy. Publishers such as Time Inc. and American Media Inc. fought back by halting shipments, resulting in a short period where checkout-counter racks were devoid of titles like AMI’s National Enquirer.

Walmart received more customer complaints about the missing tabloid than just about any other out-of-stock item in its history.