PREMIUM LOYALTY RULES: In Taiwan's women's magazine market, loyalty is rare, gifts play a key role in buying decisions. Glenn Smith reports

Perhaps you can judge a book by its cover, especially if it's shrink-wrapped with a gift of that new shampoo you have been thinking of trying, or with a logo-embossed wallet, or a brand new pair of stockings. Sidle up beside the ladies at the bookracks of a Taipei shop, and you'll find them rummaging through the wares, deciding which of the island's women's magazines is offering the month's priciest premium.