Consumer ABCs: Round-up
As the latest ABC circulation figures are released for the consumer magazine market, Newsline presents its round-up of the results. Click on the links to view the full analysis for each market, which also includes league tables and charts for Mediatel subscribers.
Women’s Lifestyle
The worst hit title in the women’s lifestyle market was Hearst’s Cosmopolitan, recording a fall in circulation of -20.5% period-on-period and a -31.6% decrease year-on-year, down from 302,500 in H1 2018 to 240,400 readers in H2.
Hearst attributed the print decline to a cover price increase from £1 to £2 for the period.
However, its digital circulation was up 40.5% YoY, now reaching 11,400 readers.
Meanwhile, Good Housekeeping leads the market with a circulation of 451,700, up 5.4% PoP though slightly down over the year (-0.8%). The title is closely followed by the John Lewis Edition, which had topped the leaderboard in the first half of the year but saw circulation tumble -6.3%, shifting just 445,300 copies.
Men’s Lifestyle
Freebie Shortlist – which was killed off late last year – ended up leading the market in the men’s lifestyle category as the year closed, reaching a circulation of nearly 503,300 readers, up 0.1% both period-on-period and year-on-year.
The only other title reporting positive growth figures is Square Mile, up 1.2% PoP and 1.1% YoY to 59,400 readers.
That said, most declines were slight with the exception of Men’s Health, which recorded a -16.4% decline YoY but a 0.5% increase PoP, reaching a circulation of 146,800.
Women’s Weeklies
The second half of 2018 again saw widespread declines across the women’s weeklies market, however six titles managed to record period-on-period (PoP) growth.
Bauer Media’s Bella has continued to boost its circulation in a difficult market, up 4.1% PoP and 5.5% over the year. The mag has a total circulation of 173,000.
Meanwhile, mid-ranking title Heat – another Bauer magazine – also recorded strong growth in circulation and shifted almost 124,000 copies, up 4.5% PoP and 3.4% YoY.
News & Current Affairs
Under a new reporting methodology The Economist’s combined average global circulation is 1,657,800. Meanwhile, the UK digital circulation is at 150,000 (up 69.2% YoY). UK print circulation stands at 156,700 (down 5.3% YoY).
Meanwhile, Private Eye follows behind with a circulation figure of nearly 234,000 – although it had a bad start to the year reporting a -4.8% PoP and -6% YoY decline, it managed to reduce its decline rates to -0.44% PoP and -5.2% YoY in H2 2018.
Dennis Publishing Ltd’s The Week also reported declines in the second half of 2018 – but much more substantial: -14.6% PoP and -25.3% YoY. Yet the title’s youthful offshoot, The Week Junior, recorded positive growth figures and was up 2.15% PoP and 26% YoY, reaching just over 60,500.
TV Listings
Although the TV listings market remains in decline year-on-year (YoY), the market saw some titles record positive growth during the second half of 2018, no doubt helped by the Christmas period.
Immediate Media’s Radio Times, the third most popular magazine in the market, managed a small boost to its circulation over the period (+0.6%), although it is down -8.1% YoY to 581,000 copies.
Meanwhile, TI Media’s TV Times also recorded a small period-on-period (PoP) growth (+2.7%), as did Hearst’s Inside Soap (+3.3%) and Bauer’s Total TV Guide (+1.8%).
Home Interest
Once again RHS Media’s The Garden leads the home interest magazine market, with a total circulation of just over 439,000. The title grew its circulation 0.9% over the last six-month period of 2018, and grew 1.6% year-on-year (YoY).
The Women’s Institute magazine, WI life, came second in the rankings. Despite a -2.8% decline over the year, the magazine maintains a strong circulation of 216,000.
Hearst’s Country Living was the best performing title in terms of period-on-period (PoP) growth, with circulation up 6.9% to 197,000 – a growth of 3.2% YoY.
However, Immediate Media’s BBC Gardener’s World saw the steepest decline of all home interest titles during H2 2018. The magazine’s circulation tumbled -18.4% PoP and -3.3% YoY to 170,000.