Brooklyn Based Off Track Planet Hitting Stores
Watch for a new online travel magazine that is now starting to have copies in more than 300 stores. Started as a travel website for young travelers on a tight budget, this DUMBO-based company called Off Track Planet is now going to be sitting in locations like Barnes and Noble.
It’s certainly not the usual way to do things at a time when so many print publications are getting rid of their budgets and turning to digital formats. Company CEO and cofounder Freddie Pikovsky says, however, that “Print still establishes some credibility. Anyone can slap together a website.”
Starting the Business
Pikovsky explains why he started the business.
“I had all these misconceptions that traveling was reserved for people who were wealthy and that it was a waste of time” he said. “I want to inspire other people to experience something that could change their world.”
Now, the quarterly magazine will be available starting on January 4th and will retail for $4.95. The magazine is edgy and informative for those traveling on a budget and looking for interesting and off-the-beaten path activities.
Getting Into the Act
Book giant Barnes and Noble says that 200 of its stores will be selling Off Track Planet magazine and they plan to do so in their top travel markets. As Theresa Thompson, the newsstand vice president said,
“We believe it’s a great quality magazine that meets our standards for sale in our store. We think it’s edgy and will appeal to a young traveler.”
In addition to their forays into the print world, Off Track Planet has their eye on a mobile app that will connect backpackers with experienced travelers and help travelers to access content from their site. As Pikovsky said, “We want to reinvent travel guides. We like to say we’re creating movement around the world.”
