After an assessment by consulting company McKinsey, Condé Nast has decided to shutter four magazines: Never-quite-caught-on parenting magazine Cookie will fold, as will beloved, 70-year-old food magazine Gourmet (though the latter will continue as a kind of zombie brand — the company plans to keep the books and TV shows affiliated with the magazine alive). Meanwhile, Elegant Bride and Modern Bride will be folded into one Brides, which makes technical sense (we’ve never understood: Why not be both modern and elegant?) but may make dress shopping less fun and more Communist-y. Depressing.
The Wrath of McKinsey: Conde Nast To Fold Gourmet, Memo Reveals [Gawker]
Update: Roughly 180 People Laid Off at Conde Nast Today; Pilar Guzmán is Out
Update: Brutal. Conde Nast CEO Chuck Townsend tells WSJ: “We’ve been working with those titles in addition to other titles to maximize their financial health in this economy. And unfortunately, these titles just fall below the line. We can’t sustain them.” Consider yourselves on notice, “Other titles”
