Decisions over whether or not to take some flagship titles gravure will prove pivotal to the web offset sector. Emap's newest launch, the weekly glossy Grazia, is currently its sole gravure-printed product in the UK.
"It will be interesting to see if anything does switch Emap has the largest weekly stable that's not gravure," noted one supplier.
The tender involves more than 100 titles, and around 45m of print. Titles in the spotlight include Heat (currently printed by St Ives Peterborough), Closer (New Jarrold Printing), and FHM (Cooper Clegg).
Existing and potential suppliers to the publisher, which has the single largest magazine portfolio in the UK, are currently working their way through the tender documents. Responses are required by mid-May.
Emap is understood to be adopting a more formalised contract structure, including service level agreements for the first time. Group production director Andy Franks has publicly stated that he wants to create "more binding relationships with our suppliers, to give security on both sides".
Emap's current print roster spans St Ives, Polestar, Cooper Clegg, Wyndeham, New Jarrold Printing, Southernprint, Headley Brothers, William Gibbons and Peterborough Web.
Emap's top 10 titles by ABC circulation
FHM 580,027
Heat 552,215
Closer 504,350
Yours 438,872
Bliss 285,061
New Woman 280,448
More! 274,635
Zoo 240,215
Empire 205,587
Max Power 191,019
Story by Jo Francis
