Loaded Cuts Cover Price To Reel In Readers

IPC’s flagship men’s magazine, Loaded, will drop its cover price to £2.50 from the next issue in a move designed to boost the title’s value for money and increase sagging circulations.

The price cut will see the magazine permanently lower its cover price from £3.40 with the June issue following a re-launch and redesign for the title earlier this year (see IPC Reveals New Look Loaded).

The men’s lifestyle magazine market has experienced something of a rocky ride over the last few years as it came down to earth with a bang following its rapid rise to notoriety in the late nineties. Loaded saw spectacular rises in its circulation during this period, peaking in the second half of 1998 with a circulation of 457,318.

However, it has been largely downhill since then, with the magazine’s sales falling below 300,000 in 2002, after a brief 12 months sales plateau, before plunging to 220,057 in the last six months of 2004.

Loaded’s publishing director, Niall McKinney, explained the need for such aggressive tactics in reversing the magazine’s fortunes, stating: “Following the whole-hearted approval young men have given to our re-launch, now is the time to bring new readers to Loaded with a new price. The sales decline of the monthly men’s market in the last five years has shown us that all the magazines in the sector need to deliver better value to consumers.”

He added: “The men’s weeklies, led by Loaded’s stable mate Nuts, have offered a completely new price point – with success that has been well chronicled. Loaded now creates an alternative price point for this young male audience which our exhaustive research shows they will warmly welcome. This will not only drive growth for Loaded, but re-stimulate growth in the monthly market as a whole.”

The June issue of Loaded, with the new price of £2.50, will be promoted with a free Abi Titmuss DVD, which hits newsstands on Wednesday 4 May.

IPC Media: 0870 4445000 www.ipcmedia.com