GRAND Magazine Caters to Booming Market of Young Grandparents

ST. PETERSBURG, FL. – October 10, 2005 – Every day in the United States, 4,000 moms and dads become grandmas and grandpas.

And, with the average age of new grandparents in this country at 48, there are plenty of issues and interests that surround this demographic of Baby Boomers. GRAND Magazine is the only lifestyle publication in the country targeting this generation, devoting its pages to such relevant topics as real estate, food, tourism, leisure activities, education, beauty and automobiles.

“GRAND Magazine is a new, unique and powerful investment for advertisers who want to directly reach grandparents, who control $800 billion in discretionary income in this country,” said Christine Crosby, the magazine’s founder, who now serves as editorial director. “GRAND Magazine is unique in the marketplace. No other publication targets the ages 45 to 65 market like we do.”

Crosby said the bi-monthly magazine’s readership comprises “the hippest, best-educated, healthiest and wealthiest generation of grandparents in American history.” There are now 70 million grandparents in the United States – the greatest single economic force in the United States, she noted.

“More than ever, grandparents have the time and the money to buy luxury items,” Crosby said. “Grandparents today control a full 77 percent of our nation’s assets. Our grandparents annual spending of $1.2 trillion would rank them Number 13 on the global ranking for gross domestic product – ahead of Canada, Spain and the entire continent of Australia.”

The objective of GRAND Magazine is to report on the many ways in which grandparents in the United States are leading vibrant lives. Each issue of this consumer lifestyle magazine features a cover story about a celebrity who happens to be a grandparent, such as Goldie Hawn, Harrison Ford and, in this month’s issue, Pierce Brosnan.

“Including such rock legends as Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan and Tina Turner, all of whom still pack stadiums, the typical grandparents in 2005 are very different than those from a generation ago,” Crosby said. “Every issue of our magazine chronicles this phenomenon; that is why we are picking up dedicated readers across the country.”

As GRAND Magazine covers major life-changing events for young, vibrant grandparents, its national circulation is expected to boom as well. The magazine is already distributed nationally through Barnes & Noble, Borders, Wal-Mart and other coast-to-coast retailers.

The magazine is also widely available at special events that target Baby Boomers, such as the Senior Olympics, trade shows, the World Money Show, as well as through national charities, such as the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

“We are tapping in to an unbelievable number of Americans who felt there was no magazine, until now, that focuses solely on them,” Crosby said. “A recent survey shows that people between the ages of 50 and 59 are at a true crossroads, as they enter a new phase in their lives.”

“In that age bracket, nearly 25 percent of them are becoming grandparents, are likely dealing with the care or death of a parent and are facing new health problems,” she added. “Their youngest children are moving out of the house; some have retired and don’t know what to do next.

“GRAND Magazine is there for all these people; that is why we are poised for such tremendous growth,” Crosby said. “Our readers are relying on us. They depend on GRAND Magazine to help maximize the next chapter of their lives.”

GRAND Magazine also offers its readers an interactive website, www.grandmagazine.com, which features forums, contests, reviews of toys and books, and other valuable resources. The website is another ideal vehicle for advertisers to reach the most affluent demographic in the U.S. market.

GRAND Media, LLC, a Florida based publishing company, was founded by Christine Crosby, 59, who is a grandmother and a great grandmother that loves to roller blades, sail and is a radiant example of the new breed of boomer grandparents.

Her career as an entrepreneur began in the late 1970’s. Since then she has started and sold two successful businesses. For over 20 years she has been in the publishing industry. She has worked her entire career to strengthen families and protect abused children. Ms. Crosby published a nationally renowned book on abuse and domestic violence prevention. She started a chain of parenting magazines in the early 90’s that were sold to the Chicago Tribune in 1995.

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