ABC consumer magazine results: overview
The latest ABC release for the July – December 2015 period charts all the trends for the consumer magazine market. Here is Newsline’s overview – with links to full articles and charts.
Newsline is now reporting on combined print and digital (gross) figures for all magazine brands, as this is now ABC’s “headline figure”.
Although the separate figures for print and digital are revealed in the charts below, all copy will only reference combined data.
Women’s Weeklies
Northern & Shell has reason to celebrate this period, with OK! magazine sales up by almost 38%, making it the third most-popular women’s weekly magazine (up from 10th the previous period). The celebrity and lifestyle mag now sells around 275,800 copies a week, however it is worth noting that the title was down -5.7% year on year.
Other than Take a Break Series, which was up 12% period on period, the majority of women’s weekly titles recorded small-moderate declines in circulation for the July – December period, with Bauer’s Heat hit hardest, down -11.8%.
Heat also recorded one of the greatest yearly declines (-20.3%), alongside Reveal (-23.6%), Star (-22.2%) and Now (-22%).
Click here for the full story.
Women’s Lifestyle
Amid a sea of declines, Cosmopolitan has recorded a set of stand-out figures for the July – December period, up a massive 56.8% period on period and 57.3% year on year.
With sales at more than 405,000, the lifestyle glossy is now the fourth most-popular women’s lifestyle magazine, up from 10th place the previous period to close in on Good Housekeeping (409,700).
Free title John Lewis Edition also performed well, up 17% over the period to 572,400, cementing its position as the most popular title in the market.
Despite reporting both period and yearly declines (-2.4% and -6.5%, respectively), Asos.com remained in second place with circulation at a little under 455,000, while Stylist, which is also free, was up a small 0.2% period on period with a combined circulation of 404,000. However, this wasn’t enough to stop a newly-energised Cosmo from overtaking.
Click here for the full story.
Home Interest
The July to December period was a bit of a damp squib for Home Interest magazines, with just two titles seeing small boosts in circulation over the period.
Starting with the good news – up 2.5% PoP, Homes & Gardens recorded the greatest increase, selling 107,400 copies, followed by Elle Decoration, up 0.9%.
Ideal Home, Country Living and Your Home maintained their positions as the top three best-selling Home Interest magazines, as well as recording some of the smaller declines in circulation over the period.
The hardest hit title of the group by far was HomeStyle, which was down -22.4% over the period to drop behind both Elle Decoration and World of Interiors.
Click here for the full story.
Men’s Lifestyle
Forever Sports has again reported an impressive set of circulation figures for the men’s lifestyle market, with a 15.9% period on period increase seeing the Haymarket title hit 105,000.
At the other end of the spectrum, Men’s Fitness saw sales decrease -18% over the period and -32.3% over the year – the greatest declines across the market by far. The Dennis Publishing-owned mag now manages to flog just 31,000 copies.
Unsurprisingly, freebie Shortlist maintained its position as the most popular men’s lifestyle mag, with a small 0.7% boost in circulation over the period securing a little under 506,000.