ABCs Expected To Show Slowdown For Celebrity Titles

Today’s consumer magazine ABCs for the six months to December 2003 are expected to show the huge growth sector of recent times – celebrity weeklies – began to slow down in the last half of the year.

Volumes across the sector – which includes stalwart Hello and Northern & Shell’s upstart New – are expected to be static as the public’s fascination with celebrities reaches its upper limit.

However, there will still be gains for Emap’s Closer and Heat, according to reports. Closer is expected to see the biggest increase during the period, up 15%, but Now retains its number one position in the market.

Monthly glossy Glamour will retain its number one position and the title is expected to increase its lead over number two title Natmags’ Cosmopolitan.

The massive growth of the celebrity weekly market, and the success of Glamour, are expected to have impacted badly on monthly titles targeted at twenty-something women. IPC’s Marie Claire is expected to report another drop in circulation for the period, and it has recently begun price-cutting in certain UK regions in a bid to stem the decline.

But there will be good news for titles targeting 30-something women. BBC Magazines’ Eve will show a good increase, and Red and She will also post healthy results. InStyle is expected to record its fifth consecutive ABC rise today as its monthly guide to style carves out a place in the UK market.

And as the battle for the weekly male market hots up, the older brothers of Nuts and Zoo – Loaded and FHM – are expected to show increases for the last six months of 2003, proving that the lads’ market is far from waning.

The concurrent release of ABC’s consumer magazine figures for the period July to December 2003 takes place at 12pm today. Figures will be available to subscribers in MediaTel’s press database, and sector reports will feature throughout the day on NewsLine.

ABC: 01442 200 732 www.abc.org.uk

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