«The disparity in education is a global issue. While some might say, ‘it’s just magazines’, I differ. Magazines are just one of many outlets to learn» – Joey Ezekiel on democratizing print in Israel
Behind the looking glass – World of Magazine’s history
While having had its footing in Israel for a long time, the need and adoration for magazines only grew in significance forty-two years ago, when World of Magazines was realized by its owner, Joey Ezekiel. Having grown in relevance and becoming a primary distributor for recondite and esoteric periodicals, World of Magazines has expanded in size over time and branded itself as a provider of print goods to Israel’s inhabitants.
Having acquired four locations across the country, today Ezekiel manages the responsibilities of the stores and the brand as a whole alongside his son and daughter. Over the years of its existence, the intent and thesis of the brand have remained unchanged.
To understand the thesis of the brand and business, one has to delve into the history of its owner and the events that led to amalgamating his interests into forming a business. The owner shares the seed from which World of Magazines grew from. «Forty-two years ago, on a flight to New York, I encountered a distributing tycoon. Having spoken to each other on the flight, I learned of his background and became good friends with him over time», he shares.
«I came to learn that there was not one subject that did not have a magazine dedicated to it». The owner explains this further sparked his interest in magazines and the business of it as a whole. Indeed, having always had an interest in magazines in his youth, Ezekiel explains that his understanding of magazines stopped at renowned titles – GQ, Vogue and Elle.
Economic development in Israel
He adds, stating that the economical and physical state of Israel was not the same as we see it today. The periphery was, what he considers, backwards and lacked basic necessities that could prompt a well-rounded society. Ezekiel explains, «children lacked basic necessities like diapers and the milk that people consumed came in bottles. There’s been significant change since, and we’ve been able to visualize the country’s growth. It is also worth noting that with this growth, the landscape of consuming magazines, other literary goods and the more robust types of magazines have grown over the years».
Therefore, having been enamored by the variety and explorative nature of the magazine industry, Ezekiel went into a partnership with his newfound American business partner. He began the business by first ordering a small shipment of magazines and traversing to magazine stands and bookstores around the country to sell and distribute them.
Ra’anana, a city located in the middle of Israel
In its infancy, Ezekiel shares that the business lacked a brick-and-mortar location. «When the first shipment landed in Israel, it arrived at the flat I was living in. My daughter and I unpacked it on the sidewalk and began reaching out to distributors to sell these magazines». Though it took him some time to set his footing in the business side of things and understanding the mechanics of running a magazine-distributing business, Ezekiel eventually formatted his first store in Ra’anana, a city located in the middle of Israel.
The initial opening of the store led to a chain of World of Magazine stores being established all across Israel. The owner shares that at a point in the business, there were a total of fourteen World of Magazine stores that dealt specifically with English magazines. «We had individuals who preempted us with the possibility of failure due to our offerings. It was unusual for a business like ours to cater solely to English-language magazines. However, we persisted and managed to accrue success».
World of Magazines: digital vs print
Carrying a wide range of genres – ones that include graphic design magazines, comic magazines and industrial design to name a few – the owner of the store explicates that he sources his magazines from a wide range of countries. «We offer, at a given time, 500 titles that have been sourced from locations like the United Kingdom, United States, Germany and Japan».
Though the business grew in size and popularity with the locale’s inhabitants, Ezekiel explains that World of Magazines went through a period of shrinking with the changing landscape of media consumption, where individuals moved away from print media into digital. Today, the business operates across a limited number of stores, two of which are situated in Tel Aviv and one in Ra’anana. The owner adds that while he exists out of these World of Magazine stores, the business also supplies magazines to a large bookseller in Israel. Since being founded in 1981, World of Magazines has continued to persist as a magazine supplier to Israelis, even though the global shift of consumption from print to digital media.
The Identity of World of Magazines
The identity of the store is one that has gone through many changes, Ezekiel marks. In its infancy, the owner indicates the name of the store to have been a namesake – calling it Joe’s Magazines. Over time and born out of the desire to expand the business, the name of the store went back into a stage of re-formatting.
«At a point in time, the store was called, ‘Magazine World’, and the reason behind that was because we could not have a standalone name to describe the store». It was from this variation that ‘World of Magazines’ came about, the owner explains. He affirms the name of the establishment by explaining the library of magazines that fills the inventory of the business to be sourced from all around the world. «At the height of our opening in 1988, we had more titles than the store in the Pan Am building. The name of our store was fitting to our brand proposition and though we’ve evolved over the years, the essence of our offerings still remains».
Magazines without plastic packaging – leading by example
Over its four-decade existence, one would assume the possibilities of changes in business objectives and philosophies. At World of Magazines, however, they have remained fixed. When prompted on some of the business’s objectives, Ezekiel explains that he insisted on crafting a business that leveled the playing field for individuals.
«It is a common occurrence everywhere, and one trope that everyone knows. The disparity in education is a global issue and it is something that I intend on tackling as a business owner that provides literary goods to those in the area. While some might say, ‘it’s just magazines’, I would differ. There is a lot to learn and there are many ways to do it. Magazines are just one of many outlets to do so».
In an effort to disseminate information, Ezekiel made the decision to become the first magazine store in Israel to display magazines without any plastic packaging. The intention behind it was to steer the youth towards reading more magazines. By offering a range of titles from a variety of locations and leaving it unwrapped, the intention of having passersby come into the store to browse was achieved.
«Kids who didn’t have the means to buy these magazines could come and peruse the material and read it. Years later, these kids are coming back into the store with their children or grandchildren, and I remain receiving their support».
The physicality of World of Magazines and its future
Remaining firm with his decision to disseminate magazines to the community at large, Ezekiel explains that the locations of his stores were situated with the intention to open a world of magazines to the underprivileged.
He explains that stores were formatted in the Northern and Southern regions of Israel – locations that were not favorable to most businesses. These locations were home to individuals of many backgrounds. «The locations that we opened in were diverse and full of life. In doing so, we’ve allowed these individuals an opportunity to consume, purchase and indulge in English language magazines. This however would lead to a downturn in the business».
Having opened a chain of stores left Ezekiel strung out and stretched thin. Managing many stores, the owner became preoccupied with the complexities of business management and strayed away from his one true passion – print media. This, alongside the declining pace and interest in the magazine world, let Ezekiel to shrink World of Magazines into what we know of it today – four brick-and-mortar locations. Twenty years into managing the four locations, World of Magazines now operates online alongside its physical spaces, dancing a fine balance between offering reads to its variety of readers and affirming the love for print.
World of Magazines
Dizengof Center, Building A, Floor 2. Founded and managed by seventy-five-year-old Joey Ezekiel, World of Magazines is a business built with the intent to disseminate and offer English-language magazines to the inhabitants of Israel.
