Consumer ABCs 2025: Five main takeaways
Consumer ABCs 2025
Consumer magazines generally recorded strong digital growth from low bases in 2025, while print circulations declined almost universally, creating a mixed picture for a magazine industry in flux.
That is according to the latest Consumer ABC figures, the first report to feature the joint-industry currency’s new “streamlined” reporting standards.
The findings suggest a continued shift toward digital-first strategies among magazine titles. This is being reinforced commercially with the recently announced Atria, a single marketplace for digital advertisers to access combined inventory across Bauer, Future, Hearst UK, Hello!, Immediate and Time Out titles.
While overall circulation figures fell for most brands tracked by ABC, strong digital growth was unable to offset even relatively small declines in print circulation. Some titles with mature digital products have made a smooth transition to acquiring and growing large digital audiences. This is especially true of current affairs and fashion brands.
These include The Economist, BBC Science Focus, New Scientist, and Prima, which registered overall circulation growth despite a decline in print sales.
Sajeeda Merali, CEO of the magazine publishing trade body the Professional Publishers Association (PPA), told The Media Leader that the latest ABC figures “tell a positive story” about the evolution of magazine media.
“We’re seeing strong and sustained digital growth across many brands, demonstrating how audiences are embracing trusted editorial content across platforms,” she said.
While print “continued to play an important and high-value role” in building a deep connection with audiences, most publishers, she noted, are seeking to extend that relationship to more touchpoints through video, podcasting, and live events.
“In an era where trust is increasingly scarce, magazine brands offer credibility, context and meaningful connection,” Merali added.
Here are five takeaways from the latest consumer ABC data.
1. Fashion titles see digital circulation pop for a second consecutive year
All fashion magazine brands tracked by ABC reported year-on-year growth in total digital circulation in 2025, with most reporting double-digit growth. For most fashion brands, this more than offset the near-universal, ongoing declines in print circulation.
All fashion magazines reported declines in total print circulation, with the exception of Harper’s Bazaar (+9% to 55,764) and Harrods Magazine (+3% to 64,262). Harrods does not have a digital title.
It marks the second-straight year of strong digital growth among fashion brands.
Hearst’s Good Housekeeping, the largest brand in this segment (total circulation: 375,271) exemplified this phenomenon. It reported a 72% year-on-year increase in digital circulation to 72,346. Despite an 8% year-on-year decrease in print circulation to 302,925, total circulation for the magazine grew 1%.
The biggest digital growers among fashion titles included Hearst’s Prima (+132% digital circulation growth to 40,897; 9% total circulation growth to 138,527) and Bauer Media’s Yours (+753% digital circulation growth to 22,264; 6% total circulation growth to 95,961).
Looking at other top titles, Condé Nast’s Vogue saw total circulation fall 5% year on year to 170,698, as a 7% increase in digital circulation failed to offset a 7% decline in print circulation.
2. News and current affairs show a mixed picture
The current affairs title The Economist is emblematic of a magazine that has reached a milestone in its digital transition. Its digital circulation, which grew 1% year on year to 981,746, sits at more than double its print circulation (-6% year on year to 415,306). Combined, The Economist now counts nearly 1.4m subscribers.
Likewise, Our Media’s BBC Science Focus led the category with 8% total circulation growth to 373,813, driven by 9% growth in digital circulation. Its print title, which saw circulation dip 11% year on year, makes up only a small fraction of its subscriber base.
The same is true of the Daily Mail and General Trust’s New Scientist, which registered 6% overall circulation growth to 176,292, driven by 15% digital circulation growth and despite an 8% decline in print.
The Spectator, meanwhile, was in the green across the board in 2025, its first full year under Sir Paul Marshall’s ownership. The title grew digital circulation 5% and print circulation 1%, reaching a total circulation of 114,911 (+3% year on year).
Prospect magazine, which notched an impressive 87% digital growth in 2024, contracted in 2025. It was one of a handful of titles to decline in digital circulation (-6% year on year) while increasing print circulation (+1% year on year). Overall circulation fell 3% to 39,004.
Inclusive of its EMEA and APAC versions, Time Magazine was the worst-performing news and current affairs title in 2025. Total circulation fell 16% to 110,039, driven by declines in both print (-18%) and digital (-13%).
Meanwhile, the UK’s two print-only current affairs titles, Private Eye and The Week Junior, generally maintained their circulations; Private Eye declined 3% year on year to 225,642, while The Week Junior grew 4% year on year to 67,676.
3. Home-interest and leisure, digital-first titles register strong growth
RHS Media’s print-only The Garden remained far and away the top home-interest magazine in 2025 despite a 3% decline in circulation to 493,031.
The second-largest home interest title, Hearst UK’s Country Living, saw overall flat year-on-year circulation growth (177,286), with a 68% jump in digital circulation offset by a 7% decline in print circulation.
While most home interest titles saw mid-single-digit circulation declines in 2025, a few stood out.
Hearst’s House Beautiful grew total circulation by 7%, driven by a 44% increase in digital circulation. Bauer Media’s Garden Answers and Landscape more than doubled their digital circulations, respectively. Bauer’s Garden News also more than quintupled (+457%) its digital circulation, albeit from a much smaller base.
Meanwhile, several leisure titles reported strong growth. Myprotein’s The Supplement, a digital-only title targeting gym goers with recipes, nearly doubled (+93%) its circulation to lead the category (722,221).
Digital-first brand Wanderlust, meanwhile, more than doubled its total circulation (+111% to 323,851) on the back of strong digital circulation growth (+132%).
Among longer-standing titles, National Geographic Traveller also recorded a notable 13% overall circulation growth to 74,715, driven by 1% print circulation growth and 42% digital circulation growth. Condé Nast Traveller also reported 57% growth in digital circulation, but an 11% decline in print circulation led to a 4% decline in total circulation to 70,079.
4. Lifestyle weeklies drop, but Bauer reports double-digit digital growth
With the exception of Bauer Media’s Heat, all lifestyle weeklies reported a year-on-year decline in total circulation.
The largest contractions were felt by Reach’s OK! Magazine and New!, which were the only titles in this segment to report declines in both print and digital circulations. OK! Magazine saw a 28% drop in print circulation and a 21% drop in digital circulation, resulting in a 27% decline in total circulation to 27,665.
In total, Reach Magazines Group registered a 25% decline in total circulation to 53,497.
Apart from Heat (+16% digital growth; 2% total), Bauer Media’s Closer also registered 16% digital circulation growth, nearly offsetting a 13% decline in print circulation.
Bauer’s Take a Break is far and away the leader in this category, with total circulations of 228,433 despite an 8% year-on-year decline. It is followed by Future’s Woman’s Weekly (-10% to 130,775).
Take a Break notably registered a 1281% increase in its digital circulation, albeit from a very low base. The title’s total digital circulation now sits at 2,389.
5. TV Listings circulation remains robust despite continued decline
Apart from The Economist and Tesco Magazine, the title with the largest circulation in the UK remains Bauer Media’s TV Choice.
The magazine saw its print circulation decline 5% year on year to 850,169 — part of a year-long trend of managed decline for TV listings titles.
Future’s What’s on TV saw circulations dip more marginally (-3% to 515,842).
However, the remaining major listings magazines reported high-single-digit or low-double-digit declines in overall circulation.
Immediate Media’s Radio Times fell 10% year on year to 307,129 despite a 12% rise in digital circulation to 12,198. Likewise, Future’s TV Times fell 8% year on year to 66,608.
The full data from the 2025 ABC release is available in Adwanted Connected’s Publishing app for subscribers.
Users can analyse the ABC release with Adwanted Connected’s dedicated report and pre-built category publication lists to quickly get a steer on how the market is performing for both digital and print titles.
Adwanted is the parent company of The Media Leader.