Check it Out: Editorial Meets E-Commerce

As for the editorial on Sharpmen.com, the designers, artists and companies behind the various products promoted on the site supply the latest news and trends on what's happening in men's lifestyles. The online magazine has proven to be an outlet for some lesser-known retailers to spread the word about their brand and reach a targeted male demographic. Retail partners of Sharpmen.com include Charles Alexander Neckwear, a U.K.-based retailer of high-end neckties, and Menaji, a retailer of skincare products designed for men.

Is the melding of content and commerce anything more than the latest retail fad along the lines of pop-up shops, store-within-a-store designs, flash-sale sites and social commerce? For magazine publishers desperate for new revenue streams, it almost has to be for their survival. And I think it will.

The average consumer has become so jaded over time that editorial integrity is a thing of the past. If GQ can offer me entertaining content and at the same time sell me a pair of shoes that I need, that convenience trumps any concern I may have over collusion between the publisher and advertiser. And this is coming from a journalist. Imagine what folks not in my line of work think.