Soho News International

“In my opinion, screen content can be a supplement to, but would never be able to replace the simple and direct engagement a reader gets from holding and reading printed paper content.” The truth is that, if we link this hypothesis to his company, the paper industry is in a wealthy era. Soho News International has grown a lot since its opening in 2006, in the same way as our consumption as a society. Today, it is a by-word for an exhaustive range of specialty magazine titles and it is present in three different spots of the city.

Bhavin has been an avid reader since a young age; back then with keen interest in titles such as Time, People, The Economist and National Geographic. “These popular titles first opened up my keen interest and passion in print materials, and allowed Soho News International to evolve into its current niche market”, he recalls.

The concept behind Soho News International was to have the largest selection of magazines possible within a wide range of disciplines like Art, Fashion, Food, Interior Design, and many others. Bhavin himself curates the selection, guided, mainly by a mix of inner instinct and knowledge of his clientele: “The titles are selected based on their appeal to our customers,” he summarizes. 

The shop is a neighborhood landmark that opens at six am every morning and remains open until two am. “From the time we open until the time we close, we ensure our shop is well stocked with the needs of our readers with the freshest reading; this means our employees ensure the latest publications are displayed and organized for our customers. In addition to it, we are proud to have convenience goods and essentials for Soho’s residents, workers and visitors”. That is a relevant thing to take into account but the changing point of the paradigm of the SNI was when Bhavin and his team started to arrange events in 2021.

“The idea came about because the shop had been approached by scouters for its ideal, highly viable and heavily foot trafficked location. Supergoop! was the first client and since then we have hosted about twenty events.” The latest one is Openhouse 22nd issue installation. From 7th to 22nd of November, the windows, exterior and shelves are dressed with the four covers and pictures of our newest edition. A hotspot to meet and greet part of the team as well as get special products of Openhouse. Bhavin’s shop is a real window to connect to the readers: “Openhouse has created a loyal following who enthusiastically wait for the next issue”.

Bhavin never thought that a magazine shop might congregate such a large number of people, but he has seen how the events were growing ever since. “We have had events that were so heavily anticipated that we had a line extending several city blocks!” Committed to the neighborhood, these actions allow SNI to be a cornerstone of the SoHo community where the freshest and newest trends can be shared with the public.

The shop is a meeting point for all those who enjoy being stimulated by alternative ways of approaching stories. An audience that has also welcomed new readers: “When Soho News International first opened, our clientele included locals, artists, and visitors. Our customers today include those loyal clientele as well as the new generation of magazine lovers.”