Consumer ABCs: Round-up
As the latest ABC circulation figures are released for the consumer magazine market, Newsline presents its round-up of the results. Click on the links to view the full analysis for each market, which also includes league tables and charts for Mediatel subscribers.
Women’s Lifestyle
Good Housekeeping performed well in the second half of 2017 – jumping two spaces since the start of the year to become the market leader. Its circulation was up nearly 4% period-on-period and 0.2% year-on-year.
That means previous market leader John Lewis Edition has been dethroned and is down two spaces with a circulation of 446,400 (-8.3% PoP and -2.4 YoY). Meanwhile, ASOS.com’s PoP figures remained static, but declined by -0.06% YoY.
Look’s circulation declined by nearly 4% between July and December 2017 and -37% year-on-year – the biggest declines by a long way in the women’s lifestyle market.
Men’s Lifestyle
The men’s lifestyle market is still fairly stable, with some healthy circulations and small period-on-period gains. However, year-on-year, every title has recorded a decline.
Freebie hand-out Shortlist remains the market leader with a (print-only) circulation of 503,000 and was only down -0.1% period-on-period and -0.4% year-on-year.
In second place is Hearst-Rodale’s Men’s Health, up 0.6% PoP and -3.5% YoY with a print and digital circulation of 175,600, followed by Conde Nast’s GQ which was up 0.9% PoP and down -0.4% over the year. The publication, which famously featured Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on its cover in December, now has a print and digital circulation of just over 115,000.
Women’s Weeklies
2017 opened with widespread declines in the Women’s Weeklies magazine market. That trend continued in the second half of the year.
First the good news: Take a Break Series – the special editions of the mag – was up almost 29% period-on-period to 212,500. The special editions were also up 25% year-on-year.
Bella from Bauer Media also recorded a boost (+1.5%), as did ACH Publishing’s Love It! (+2%).
The rest of the market only recorded declines. Still, the bestselling title, Take a Break, has a healthy circulation of almost 500,000 despite a -3% PoP decline and a YoY drop of more than -8%.
News & Current Affairs
The Economist UK edition outperformed Private Eye in the second half of 2017, with a 2.4% increase period-on-period in circulation, and 8% year-on-year.
Private Eye‘s circulation decreased in the second half of 2017 by -1.3% PoP and -1.4% YoY, however its circulation still stands at a solid 246,600.
The Pressdram title was closely followed by Dennis Publishing’s The Week, which recorded a 0.3% PoP increase in H2 but was down -1.8% YoY. The Week Junior also performed well, reaching a circulation figure just over 48,000.
TV Listings
The TV market posted a mixed bag of results in the second half of 2017, and year-on-year the market is generally in decline. However, circulation figures still remain strong.
H Bauer’s TV Choice continues to lead the market with the the highest circulation – entirely in print, like the majority of the market – of almost 1.2 million. Period-on-period circulation remained almost static (-1%) and was only down -2.5% year-on-year.
Home Interest
RHS Media’s The Garden currently leads the Home Interest magazine market with a print-only circulation of 432,100 – up nearly 2% period-on-period 4.2% year-on-year.
In second place is WI Life, the Women’s Institute magazine, with a print-only circulation of just over 221,900. The title was up 0.16% year-on-year.
One of the steepest declines in H2 2017 belonged to BBC Gardener’s World, down -15.5% PoP. However, the title still maintains a solid circulation just over 175,900.