ABC Results Jul-Dec 2004: Weeklies Trade Blows As Men’s Market Stays Steady

The figures listed in NewsLine’s ABC reports are those reported by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) as at Thursday 17 February 2005. 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 NewsLine.

The latest ABC consumer magazine figures for the six months to December 2004 reveal little growth amongst the men’s monthly sector, with only a handful of titles managing to secure significant circulation growth.

The lack of significant upwards movement is almost certainly due to the launch of men’s weekly titles Nuts and Zoo, with traditional monthly readership being cannibalised by the new upstarts. While year on year comparison is not possible due to the titles’ recent launches, the latest ABC results reveal that Nuts‘ total circulation has dipped slightly period on period, losing 5.1% to 275,459, while rival Zoo‘s circulation has increased by 20% to 240,215 in the same period.

Zoo‘s increased circulation will be welcomed by its owner, Emap, although the publisher’s flagship men’s monthly, FHM, saw its circulation dip at the end of 2004, losing 3.5% year on year to close at 580,027. However, the title remains the market leader, outperforming its rivals by a clear margin. The company’s Arena magazine notched up the largest circulation increase in the six months to December, adding 9.2% year on year to close at 44,347.

Things were less rosy for Emap’s principal rival, IPC, however. The company has not only seen the circulation of Nuts slip towards the end of the year, but has also witnessed a poor performance by its high-profile monthly title, Loaded, losing 16.4% year on year to 220,057 in the six months to December.

IPC will be buoyed, however, by Nuts‘ continued dominance of the fiercely competitive men’s weekly market. Commenting on the latest round of ABC results, IPC chief executive Sylvia Auton said: “Nuts has reaffirmed its market leadership of one of the most important new publishing categories. And we’ve achieved a strong set of results across our key sectors, despite one of the most competitive periods in magazine publishing history.”

Nuts‘ publishing director, Eric Fuller, added: “I think men’s magazines are in extremely rude health and Nuts, by volume, is the biggest selling of all the men’s magazines. We sell more in a month than anybody else, so we’re very very pleased with that number.”

Elsewhere, Men’s Health and Men’s Fitness, published by Rodale Press and Dennis Publishing respectively, both enjoyed impressive growth. While Men’s Health added 3.9% to its circulation year on year Men’s Fitness rose by 6.7% in the same period, proving the increasing value of health-conscious men’s titles.

Meanwhile, Highbury’s Front magazine saw the largest percentage downturn in circulation amongst the men’s titles, shedding 18.5% to take its total circulation below the 100,000 mark for the first time since its launch in 1998.

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

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