PPA: Demand for magazines remains high

Today’s ABC release shows that UK consumers bought well over one billion magazines last year, according to the Periodical Publishers Association (PPA).

“In a world of ever more free content on the TV, radio and the internet, more than 85% of UK adults continue to buy magazines,” the PPA said.

ABC figures show that consumer magazines’ total circulation fell by just 1.3% in the six months to the end of the year, compared to the same period in 2008.

This is a fairly positive result considering the UK economy shrank in all four quarters last year, following the start of the economic recession in 2008.

In addition, magazine publishers continued to innovate, with 250 regular frequency, paid-for consumer magazines being launched in 2009 compared with 251 in 2008, according to the PPA.

Women’s lifestyle and fashion magazines performed particularly well in the six-month period to the end of 2009, up by 4.7% year on year, while women’s weeklies rose 2.9% year on year.

Barry McIlheney, the PPA’s chief executive, said: “Readers have a unique relationship with their magazines. In an increasingly cluttered world, magazines offer an oasis of private time.”