ABC Results Jul-Dec 2004: Zoo Closes Gap As Nuts Feels The Pinch
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 closely fought battle for supremacy between the nation’s weekly men’s magazines grew fiercer still in the six months to December 2004, with Emap’s Zoo Weekly increasing its circulation, putting pressure on arch rival, Nuts, as the market-leading IPC title saw its circulation slip period on period.
The latest ABC consumer magazine figures for the six months to December 2004 show Nuts‘ total circulation as being 275,459, down 5.1% on the six months to June, while Zoo‘s circulation now rests at 240,215, up 20% in the same period. Year on year comparison is not possible due to the titles’ recent launches.
Elsewhere in the men’s market, IPC’s flagship monthly title, Loaded, suffered a circulation dip of 16.4% year on year to 220,057. Emap’s FHM also saw a circulation slip, losing 3.5% in the same period to push its total to 580,027, underlining suggestions last year that the new men’s weekly titles would impact on the traditional readership of monthly lifestyle titles (see Nuts And Zoo Hit Sales Of Monthly Lads’ Mags).
Meanwhile, the women’s monthly market looked strong in the six months to December, with only a handful of titles seeing a downturn in their circulations. Haymarket’s recently acquired Eve magazine was one of the top performers, adding 12.5% year on year to push its total to 160,210, however, the title was pipped at the post for the accolade of largest circulation rise by IPC’s Woman & Home, which added 12.6% in the same period to rise to 332,646.
The celebrity magazine market also saw some large increases in circulation, with Emap’s Closer adding an impressive 31% year on year to close 2004 at 504,350. Northern & Shell’s New also performed well, adding 18.5% in the same period to push its total to 396,079, while IPC’s market-leading Now increased its total by 4.6% to 619,186.
Soap titles were amongst the worst performing in the latest round of ABC results, with Hachette Filipacchi’s All About Soap shedding 35.9% of its total year on year, dipping below the 100,000 mark to 71,825. The publisher’s Inside Soap title was also bruised, losing 9.1% to 182,351. IPC tx’s Soaplife was similarly unfortunate, losing 25.7% in the same period to 80,042.
The nation’s teen titles were also seen in a poor light at the end of 2004, with only a clutch of titles reporting significant growth. IPC’s Mizz shed 29.9% of its total year on year in the six months to December, while Hachette’s TV Hits suffered a dip of 20.4. Emap’s Bliss and Minjara Publishing’s Kiss were joint leaders in terms of circulation growth, with both titles bucking the trend for decline with 18% increases year on year. Hachette Filipacchi’s Sugar remained the market leader in what is a notoriously fickle environment, adding 1.2% to its circulation year on year to end 2004 at 295,364.
The UK’s music magazines remained fairly stable towards the end of 2004, with the exception of Future Publishing’s Metal Hammer which capitalised on the resurgence of rock music to boost circulation by a staggering 30.9% in an otherwise level marketplace. The title now commands a circulation of 38,313, although this is some way behind market-leading Q magazine, owned by Emap, with a total circulation of 162,574, up 0.6% year on year.
ABC’s consumer magazine figures for the period July to December 2004 are available to subscribers in MediaTel’s press database. Detailed sector reports will also feature throughout the day on NewsLine.
ABC: 01442 200 732 www.abc.org.uk
Recent Magazine Stories from NewsLine Emap Appoints International Director To Boost FHM Brand Future Appoints Marketing Head For Aggressive Strategy New Emap Advertising Director Gives Focus On Luxury
Subscribers can access ten years of media news and analysis in the Archive