Print Book Sales Rose Slightly in 2025

Axel Springer, owner of Politico, Politico, Business Insider, Bild and Welt, is going all in on AI.  “Nobody in the company has to explain in the company why she or he is using AI to do something — whether to prepare a presentation or analyze a document,” said CEO Mathias Döpfner during an hour-long all-employee meeting last week, Status reports.. “You only have to explain if you didn’t use AI. That’s really something you have to explain because that shouldn’t happen.” Döpfner also lauded the development of AI.   “I tell you, what is happening at the moment with regard to technology is the biggest change in modern civilization,” The first wave of internet is nothing against these developments.”

“Lift Off” is the new Sappi publication that explores and explains how pairing print with digital can be a potent formula for transforming marketing results. After all, there’s a reason why nine out of ten people remember a brand after receiving its advertising in their letterboxes. And why campaigns that use magazines deliver a 161% improvement in customer acquisition. And why, for that matter, targeted printed catalogue distribution during peak periods can generate ROI of between 300% and 900%. And there’s no reason why the strategic marketing implications of facts like these shouldn’t be brought home to more brands, advertisers and consumer companies.

All 195 stores will close for the day, giving 14,000 employees a paid day to spend outdoors and continuing a movement that has inspired millions to rethink the start of the holiday season. In 2015, a simple question was asked at REI Co-op that would later spark a movement: What if we closed on Black Friday? Susan Viscon, now the co-op's Chief New Ventures and Impact Officer, was part of that conversation. “When we first decided to close our doors on Black Friday, it was a leap,” she said. “It meant missing one of the biggest sales days of the year so our employees could be outdoors with their families and friends. But that was the point. Choosing time outside was an act of care that reflected our values and who we are as a co-op.” What began as a single idea has become a legacy at the co-op. In 2022, REI made Opt Outside permanent, ensuring every employee continues to receive a paid day off to spend time outside.