Cosmo Moves On Glamour With New Travel-Sized Format

The National Magazine Company is planning to take on rival Condé Nast’s Glamour with the launch of a special travel-sized version of its flagship women’s monthly, Cosmopolitan.

The special A5 version of the magazine, which goes on sale on 18 September, will appear at a controlled number of retail outlets, including W.H Smith Travel stores and a small number of other outlets in London.

The travel-sized Cosmo will have an initial print-run of 50,000 copies and will contain exactly the same content as the main full-size issue. It is thought the trial could be extended through January and February.

Commenting on the initiative, Duncan Edwards, managing director of NatMags, said: “This test is with a relatively small number of copies geared towards our commuting and travelling readers. It is currently planned for the October issue only although we will be monitoring the results closely as part of our overall marketing strategy for this premium brand.”

The trials follow the phenomenal success of the handbag-sized Glamour, which toppled Cosmopolitan from its top spot as the UK’s most popular woman’s monthly magazine last year. The latest ABC results for the period ending December 2002 revealed a 23.1% year on year increase in circulation for Glamour to 537,474. Meanwhile, Cosmopolitan remained virtually static during the same period at 463,058.

National Magazine Company: 0207 439 5000 www.natmags.co.uk

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