IPC Scales Down Marie Claire To Boost Circulation

IPC Media is reportedly planning to reduce the size of its glossy women’s monthly Marie Claire in the next few weeks in an attempt to boost the magazine’s flagging circulation.

The ongoing growth of Condé Nast’s handbag-sized Glamour and the expansion of the celebrity magazine sector over the last few years have impacted badly on monthly titles targeting twenty-something women.

The latest ABC results for the six months to December 2003 show that Marie Claire saw circulation decline by 9.8% year on year to 360,789. Hachette Filipacchi’s fashion-focused Elle also suffered a 5.3% year on year drop to just above the 200,000 mark.

Industry reports suggest that Marie Claire will adopt the new American A4 size, which is smaller than its rival glossies, but still larger than Glamour magazine. The scaled down format will be launched nationally to give the magazine a much-needed boost.

IPC has already trialled a travel-sized Marie Claire in WH Smith retail outlets, as well as price cuts of £1 and 50p to its £3 coverprice in certain UK regions in a bid to stem the decline.

The women’s monthly market has been in focus recently with news that Condé Nast is launching a new glossy magazine featuring a mix of style, glamour and practical real-life stories to go head-to-head with Hachette Filipacchi’s Red.

Easy Living will launch in the first half of next year delivering ‘useful and realistic’ solutions to improve modern women’s lives. Chris Hughes, former publishing director of the National Magazine Company’s Good Housekeeping, has been appointed as publisher of the new title (see Condé Nast Unveils Grown Up Women’s Title).

National Magazine Company also recently announced plans to launch a new celebrity-focused weekly to compete with Emap’s highly successful Closer. The publisher confirmed that it is currently developing a new weekly under the working title Reveal, in an attempt to cash in on the rapidly expanding sector (see Condé Nast Silent Over Plans For New Women’s Glossy).

IPC Media: 0870 444 5000 www.ipcmedia.com

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