As I recall they kept the good ones behind the counter.
Ours never had one..........
Trouble was, too much browsing, not enough buying.
A Barnes & Noble superstore was near me in the 1990s and 2000s. Many of the "new" magazines on its newsstand were dog-eared and wrinkled from the constant browsing. Even some of the "new" books were wrinkled, dog-eared, and coffee stained by the browsers.
The store (which had three stories) was normally packed with people, sitting on all the benches, and windowsills, and even the floor, reading. But no lines to the cash registers. Maybe a single buyer every now and then.