Shares Magazine was totally revamped this week.

Out has gone the tabloidy style, and aticles on small caps, in has come long articles by market 'experts' and large cap reporting.

The Prospector has been axed.

I am disppointed with the changes, and wondered if anyone else here subscribed or bought Shares, and had a view they wold like to share?

All,

NB the Moneyweek free trial involves giving your bank details and cancelling after the 4 free editions, which may not be acceptable to everyone.

Normally I refuse such offers, but on this occasion, as I already know the mag, I have accepted.

I agree with all the foregoing comment about the new format. It is good to have a forum to share concern. Will it make any difference though?

I have bought "Shares" since the very first copy & absolutely hate the new format.
Apart from everything else, they have never understood that, after the first
reading, the index is the most important page, as we want to look up a particular
company later.
Please everyone- write or e-mail them to express displeasure.

Unfortunately my copy hasn't arrived yet, but had a look at it online, will reserve judgement untill my copy arrives.

But even before I was thinking of a change to IC which have improved there format recently. Shares need to be careful, they could lose a large following if they don't take notice of comments on here.

spitfire43,

I think it's too late, they have made the change in an effort to move upmarket and grab some of the IC's readers IMO, so the old Shares Magazine is now history.

I think that policy will fail, and they will certainly lose some readers from the existing subscribers, leaving them with lower circulation, IMO.

In my opinion the new content should have been an addition to the old Shares, not a substitution. I hate the Company index and hope to see this changed immediately, back to it's old format, but it is ok at the back of the mag. Never have liked a grey background for printing on - doesn't work!

Just read this weeks edition, it didn't take very long. I had thought the magazine was becoming contents poorer recently, but this new format is awful. No results section, no trading section, not many imputs/views from the from magazine. They just seem to re-write views from city analysts. It used to be 80 pages of content, now it is down to 60, WHAT A WASTE OF SPACE.

I have 4 month's to run on my subscription, unless they improve the content I will be subscribing elsewhere.

agree with everything written to make a change in format without even mentioning it in previous issues is poor customer service, I will be cancelling my direct debit straight away!

Personally I also agree that it's a shame the format has changed & become more like the competitor mags on the market, but I doubt that SHARES have gone in to this without doing some market research, so I imagine they realise that they are going to lose some readers, but gain others. It's all about market share, so presumably they are hoping that there is going to be a net gain in readers.

Harrycat,

Clearly so, but with the Investors Chronicle and Economist having loyal readerships, I think they have taken a big gamble.

If you changed the content of the Sun newspaper to that of The Telegraph, I think circulation would decline quickly, and they are risking the same thing here.

Comparing last week's IC to Shares, the IC wins for me.

Im a subscriber but wont be for long if this format persists.

Utter garbage

Just flicked through the mag online, what a shame they haven't listened. Investers Chronicle must be thinking christmas has come early.

If they were listed companies the analysts that Shares love to quote would be advising of shorting shares all the way down, and go long on IC.

spitfire43--------Whilst we are all disappointed with the new format, it will take time to change it back, IF they are going to.

spitfire looked online earlier,read the letters page at the back,they will listen to feedback.

What is the connection between Shares magazine and Moneyam? Who owns what?

halifax there are both part of msm magazines ltd

So do you think Moneyam might be re-vamped sometime soon?

nice one, it could happen only time will tell,but i dont think so.

no need to write a letter .... i would be extremenly surprised if the management do not read this thread too .... if they don't, they should be shot as indeed they should be if they do not respond and take action

The cost of producing Shares mag. should be greatly reduced since the bland format was introduced.