Readers of Out & About Newspaper will soon be able to pick up a copy at their local Kroger or Harris Teeter supermarket.

Tennessee’s largest GLBT newspaper will expand its reach into 34 Middle Tennessee Kroger stores and three Harris Teeter stores after signing a contract with DistribuTech, which handles the free publication racks in each of the stores.

The move is expected to boost circulation of the monthly newspaper to more than 20,000 copies per month. Kroger stores in Nashville, Bellevue, Madison, Antioch, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Franklin, Brentwood and Hermitage, along with Harris Teeter stores in Belle Meade, Brentwood and Nashville, will carry O&AN beginning with the May 2007 issue, which will also be the 2007 official Nashville Pridefest Guide.

Community leaders and local media experts praised the move, saying it would provide greater visibility to the GLBT community and to advertisers who support it.

"Easily accessible information promotes the visibility of the GLBT community and is vital to increasing awareness of our issues throughout Tennessee,” said Christopher Sanders, president of the Tennessee Equality Project. “Wider distribution of Out & About Newspaper will help build links that add momentum to the movement toward equality as our neighbors get to know more about our contributions to the state."

John Wade, president of Nashville’s GLBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLBTCC), said the mainstream exposure from Kroger and Harris Teeter distribution would be a “tremendous opportunity” for the GLBT business community and members of NGLBTCC.

“From a business perspective, this is a tremendous opportunity for increased exposure for both O&AN and their advertisers. Many measure advertising choices in terms of numbers of impressions from single ads,” he said. “This added distribution will broaden the exposure of O&AN advertisers, many of whom are members of the Nashville GLBT Chamber of Commerce. We congratulate O&A on this new venture and we're excited about the opportunities it could bring to many of our chamber members."

Laramey Lawson, senior vice president and media director of Gish, Sherwood & Friends, Inc, a Nashville advertising and public relations agency, said the move into the high traffic supermarket areas would result in stronger total market coverage for the GLBT newspaper.

“Broader reach through these new high-profile distribution points result in stronger total market coverage,” Lawson said. “This circulation enhancement makes O&AN even more effective and efficient at covering the Middle Tennessee GLBT audience.”

The May 2007 issue will be the last issue mailed free of charge to more than 2,800 current subscribers. Starting with the June 2007 issue, O&AN readers can receive the newspaper in their home for $24 per year, mailed via first class mail. All current subscribers must resubscribe and submit payment by May 31 in order to receive the June 2007 issue.

The following Kroger and Harris Teeter stores will carry O&AN with the May 7, 2007 issue, which will be on stands by Wednesday, May 9. The publication will be available in the free publication racks typically located at the front of each store.

KROGER  S. TENNESSEE BLVD MURFREESBORO
KROGER NORTHFIELD BLVD MURFREESBORO
KROGER OLD FORT PKWY MURFREESBORO
KROGER MEMORIAL BLVD MURFREESBORO
KROGER S. CHURCH ST. MURFREESBORO
KROGER SAM RIDLEY PKWY W. SMYRNA
KROGER S. LOWRY ST. SMYRNA
KROGER MALLORY LANE FRANKLIN
KROGER WILLIAMSON SQUARE FRANKLIN
KROGER COLUMBIA AVE FRANKLIN
KROGER INDEPENDANCE SQUARE FRANKLIN
KROGER NOLENSVILLE RD BRENTWOOD
KROGER FRANKLIN PIKE BRENTWOOD
HARRIS TEETER FRANKLIN PIKE BRENTWOOD
KROGER FRANKLIN ROAD NASHVILLE
KROGER US-70S BELLEVUE
KROGER CHARLOTTE PIKE NASHVILLE
KROGER SR-100 NASHVILLE
KROGER HARDING PIKE NASHVILLE
KROGER ABBOTT MARTIN ROAD NASHVILLE
HARRIS TEETER  HWY 100 BELLE MEADE
HARRIS TEETER  21ST AVENUE SOUTH NASHVILLE
KROGER NOLENSVILLE PIKE NASHVILLE
KROGER MT. VIEW ROAD ANTIOCH
KROGER  EDMONDSON PIKE NASHVILLE
KROGER THOMPSON LANE NASHVILLE
KROGER MURFREESBORO PIKE NASHVILLE
KROGER NOLENSVILLE PIKE NASHVILLE
KROGER MONROE STREET NASHVILLE
KROGER S. GALLATIN PIKE MADISON
KROGER CLARKSVILLE HIGHWAY NASHVILLE
KROGER 711 GALLATIN PIKE NASHVILLE
KROGER 3410 GALLATIN PIKE NASHVILLE
KROGER DICKERSON PIKE NASHVILLE
KROGER OLD HICKORY BOULEVARD HERMITAGE
KROGER MCGAVOCK PIKE NASHVILLE
KROGER LEBANON ROAD HERMITAGE