FT’s How to Spend It iPad app passes 100,000 downloads

Seven months after its launch, the FT’s How To Spend It iPad app has passed 100,000 downloads.

The app maybe aimed at the super-rich, but it is free to download and is said to have been profitable since launch.

Here is the press release from the FT:

The free app, which has been profitable since launch – and which was shortlisted this week for a Webby Award – offers 80 complete issues of the luxury lifestyle magazine, plus thousands of online exclusives by its award-winning team of writers. The vast archive is available to the user with minimal waiting time because the app intelligently downloads content as users browse. Now on version 2.1, the app is even quicker to load and easier to browse.

The app provides a unique user experience within the magazine sector and includes:

· Searchable content of more than 80 editions of How To Spend It

· Content from the latest edition posted seven days a week with access to many features and columns before they appear in print

· Daily news bulletins and unique digital columns from the magazine’s

award-winning team, exclusive to the digital edition

· Content organised by subject rather than by print edition

· Gift Guide: over 800 inspirational ideas, updated daily

And uniquely, the entire content is free to download and access.

How To Spend It editor Gillian de Bono said: ‘I’m delighted with the response to our innovative design which organises content logically, rather than issue by issue, so that users can search their favourite subjects, columns and writers with ease. Daily postings by our top writers also give a constant stream of quality content and a unique sense of discovery.”

FT Deputy CEO and Global Commercial Director, Ben Hughes, said: “This milestone marks an important step in the continued growth of How To Spend It across digital platforms. Advertisers can now reach a large high net worth audience through the wonderful editorial environment of How To Spend It magazine, combined with the rich and interactive advertising experience that the tablet offers.”

The app can be downloaded from the Apple iTunes store and more information can be found at https://apps.ft.com/htsi