Men’s lifestyle magazines Zoo and FHM are to suspend their print and digital publications, publisher Bauer Media has announced.
Following in the footsteps of Nuts magazine, which came to an end early last year, the closure of the once-popular lads’ mag titles reflects a shift in media habits as young men – and women – increasingly move towards mobile and social.
First published in 1985 as ‘For Him Magazine’, FHM went from a quarterly for a monthly publication in 1994 and on to dominate the men’s market during the 90s. However, its print sales have declined significantly over the last decade, dropping from a peak of 775,500 in 1998 to just 66,700 this year.
Similarly, Zoo, which launched in 2004, has seen its popularity dwindle, with latest sales recorded at 27,600 – almost a tenth of the number of sales reached in 2005.
While the two have a combined digital audience of five million, Bauer has confirmed that both websites are to be suspended as well.
In a statement, publisher Gareth Cherriman said: “I greatly appreciate Damien McSorley’s leadership and the dedication and effort from both teams.
“I would like to thank our advertisers and retailers who have supported the brands and I’m sure that everyone who has worked on FHM and ZOO over the years will be sorry to hear this news.”
Peter Houston, founder of Flipping Pages Media, said that the men’s lifestyle sector has been “under pressure” for a long time.
“It’s hard to say what finally triggers a decision like this, two magazines closing at one time, but the men’s lifestyle sector has been under pressure for a long time.
“FHM and ZOO had the second and third largest print circulation falls between January and June 2015 and I understand why Bauer have decided the future is not print for these titles. I am a little surprised that they didn’t give digital only a go, given their reach.”
