Women Are Unfaithful To Magazines

A report by Mintel International has found that women have little allegiance to specific magazines. 60% of women surveyed said that they regularly read one or more women’s title, but only 31% claimed that they stick to the same publication. 20% browse before buying and 17% find themselves persuaded to buy by the front cover. The cover had more significance as a selling point with celebrity news magazines like Hello!

Working women between the ages of 15 and 34 from socio-economic groups C1 and D have the heaviest readership levels. The incidence of buying is below average for C2 women as well as Es, possibly suggesting that a gap in the market exists to satisfy this potential demand.

Volume sales in women’s magazines are estimated to have totaled 519 million units, up 10% since 1994.Cover price revenue for this period was £397 million, an increase 0f 26%. In 1995 weeklies accounted for 83% of volume sales of women’s magazines and 63% by value. Several new titles joined the market last year resulting in increased competitiveness and promotional drives. The monthly sector, however, is where the strongest growth is predicted. This area is more finely targeted and faces less competition from press magazine supplements. Distribution has widened with supermarkets and other non-traditional areas which is seen to encourage impulse buying.

Mintel has forecast that the women’s market will rise by 41% in real terms up to the turn of the century: 64% of this increase is expected to come from monthlies.

Mintel’s reports on the men’s magazine market will be published later in January.

Mintel: 0171 606 4533