She Was Told Print is Dead. Now She Runs a Booming Magazine Empire
Executive Summary
A Shopify Masters interview in which host Serena Smith talks with Nicola Hamilton, a magazine art director who opened Issues, a Toronto shop for independent print magazines, in 2022 after banks declined to lend and she raised about 120,000 dollars another way, according to the description. She explains why a physical space matters, how she curated the range and swung too far toward customer requests before pulling back, how events and community supported the business, and how independent titles fund themselves through events and brand partnerships. She also says the shop has rolled out much as her original plan imagined. Sponsor: Shopify, which produces the show. PARTIAL COVERAGE: this note is based on the opening, the physical space section, the industry and business plan section, the feedback and curation section, the closing and the description, and may not cover every point in the roughly 34 minute episode. All claims are the guest's own account and are not independently checked. Nothing here is financial advice.
Key Takeaways
A shop she wanted to exist
The guest says opening Issues was selfish, since as a magazine art director she could not find such a store in Toronto.
Why a physical space
She says magazines are physical objects people want to hold, flip through and smell, which is hard to do online.
The mandate
The guest says the shop's core is selling magazines, but its mandate is to support the editors, writers and creatives keeping print alive.
Independent business models
She says independent titles fund themselves through events, projects and brand partnerships rather than traditional print ads.
Curation versus requests
The guest says she first leaned too far on what customers asked for, then pulled back to curate with her own vision.
Action over waiting
She says moving into action and fixing things next time beats waiting for the perfect plan, and that releasing an idea lets you shape it.
Why magazines matter
The guest calls magazines an archive of lived experience that gives niche communities a sense of belonging.
The Conversation Breakdown
A shop she wanted to exist
⏱ Untimed topicThe guest says opening Issues was selfish, since as a magazine art director she could not find such a store in Toronto.
Why a physical space
⏱ Untimed topicShe says magazines are physical objects people want to hold, flip through and smell, which is hard to do online.
The mandate
⏱ Untimed topicThe guest says the shop's core is selling magazines, but its mandate is to support the editors, writers and creatives keeping print alive.
Independent business models
⏱ Untimed topicShe says independent titles fund themselves through events, projects and brand partnerships rather than traditional print ads.
Curation versus requests
⏱ Untimed topicThe guest says she first leaned too far on what customers asked for, then pulled back to curate with her own vision.
Action over waiting
⏱ Untimed topicShe says moving into action and fixing things next time beats waiting for the perfect plan, and that releasing an idea lets you shape it.
Why magazines matter
⏱ Untimed topicThe guest calls magazines an archive of lived experience that gives niche communities a sense of belonging.
Core Frameworks & Ideas
Curate with a vision - the guest's merchandising lesson
Use customer requests as input, but let your own curation lead.
Community in three dimensions - the guest's retail idea
Events and a physical space let people experience something together.
Let the dream evolve - the guest's advice
Start, learn, and change the plan as you go.
Actionable Next Steps
- ✓Visit an independent shop in a niche you love and note what makes the space feel worth visiting.
- ✓List customer requests you have received and decide which fit your vision and which do not.
- ✓Check the guest's funding and shop figures as her own account before relying on them.
- ✓Take one small action on an idea you have been planning for a long time.
Notable Quotes
“We want to go and experience something in community that is three dimensions.”
“magazines are physical objects, right?”
“Let the dream evolve.”
The One Thing to Remember
The guest argues that a curated physical shop built around a niche community can thrive even in a digital world, if the founder trusts her own curation, listens to feedback selectively and keeps adapting.