ABC Jan-Jun 2003: Glamour Extends Lead Over Rivals

The figures listed in NewsLine’s ABC reports are those reported by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) as of Thursday 14 August 2003. Late submissions and changes may be made after this date, and will thereafter be amended in MediaTel’s Press database. For full notes on how NewsLine’s reports are compiled please see Important Notes: ABC January – June 2003.

ABC results for the six months to June 2003 show that Condé Nast’s handbag sized Glamour continues to go from strength to strength in the women’s monthly magazine market, with an impressive 10.9% year on year increase in circulation to 576,832. This helped to extend its lead over rival National Magazine Company’s Cosmopolitan, which suffered a slight 1.7% decline during the same period to 462,157.

However, NatMags is stepping up the pressure on Glamour and plans to launch 50,000 copies of a special travel-sized version of Cosmo at W.H Smith Travel stores and other selected retail outlets next month (see Cosmo Moves On Glamour With New Travel-Sized Format).

There was comfort elsewhere for NatMags and its Company magazine, which recently received a new look and a new size to differentiate it from its competitors (see Company Magazine Unveils New Look), saw circulation rise by a healthy 5.9% year on year to 330,617.

Meanwhile, Time Life Entertainment’s InStyle welcomed a significant 17.3% year on year increase in circulation to 179,174, as its insider’s guide to the looks, clothes and homes of the stars proved a hit with readers.

Other women’s monthly magazines also enjoyed a successful period in the six month to June 2003, with the BBC’s Eve saw a 10.1% year on year increase to 131,157 and IPC’s Woman & Home seeing a solid 7.6% rise to 283,025.

At the other end of the scale, IPC’s health, fashion and beauty magazine, Essentials, suffered a 15.9% year on year decline in circulation to 144,780, while Hachette Filipacchi’s B magazine experienced a 14.6% year on year drop to 165,431. However, Hachette experienced a solid 3.6% increase at Red magazine during the same period.

H Bauer’s Spirit & Destiny, with its focus on new-age therapies and astrology, alongside the traditional staples of women’s glossies, entered the sector with an initial circulation of 75,663.

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