Below are statements from: Association of Publishing Agencies (APA), Bauer Media, Condé Nast, Dennis Publishing, Egmont Magazines, Future Publishing, GoodHomes magazine, H Bauer, Immediate Media Co, IPC Media, Professional Publishers Association (PPA), ShortList Media, Slimming World magazine.
Association of Publishing Agencies (APA)
The latest ABCs reveal that the combined circulation of the customer magazines featuring in the Top 100 by circulation has seen a period on period increase of 9.5 per cent. The combined circulation percentages tell a very different story for consumer newsstand titles, which have seen an overall decline, with titles such as Now and OK suffering large drops.
Key stats from the recent report include:
• Top three magazines by circulation are customer titles: Tesco, Asda and National Trust
• Half of top 10 magazines by circulation are customer titles
• Customer titles in the top 100 posted an 9.5 per cent increase of circulation period by period
• Tesco Magazine realised the largest period on period growth of 4.7 per cent
• Tesco Real Food realised the largest year on year growth of 4.4 per cent
• Supermarket titles dominate Women’s Interest Cookery and Kitchen category taking the top five slots
• John Lewis Editions and ASOS.com both reported increases to become the largest and 3rd largest titles within Women’s Lifestyle/Fashion category
• Holland and Barrett’s Healthy magazine topped Women’s Health and Beauty category
• BMW Magazine UK, tops Motoring – General category, also posting a year on year increase
Comments Julia Hutchison, COO, APA:
General trends
“It has been another strong report for the customer publishing industry a period on period growth average of 9.5 per cent. With the continued decline of Women’s Interest categories the report shows that editorialised branded content is bucking the trend with consumers continuing to turn to their favourite brands for entertainment and information. This is highlighted by the growth seen by John Lewis Editions, Asos.com magazine and the majority of supermarket titles.”
Digital Editions
“With convergence between brands, media owners and technology platforms gathering pace digital edition reporting continues to be a sticking point for the magazine industry. In branded content terms we have seen increased emphasis on supplementing the printed word with digital activity from e-zines through to apps, video, TV and microsites. Our latest Mintel report showed that digital content now accounts for 37 per cent of the industry, an increase of 22 per cent since 2007 and 32 per cent since 2005. On the basis of these trends digital is expected to overtake print as a share of total by 2013. For third party advertisers this provides a unique opportunity to reach customers across a variety of channels but with the added credibility of being associated with the media-owning brand. With the watchword continuing to be ROI, measurement of the entire portfolio is essential.”
Monetising content
“The customer publishing business model continues to reap rewards. As consumer magazine, newspaper and web publishers continue to wrestle with commercialisation of content, free media channels are flourishing. This is shown by the continued growth of branded content and also the success of freesheets such as Shortlist. The latest Mintel report predicts a growth rate of 10 per cent for editorialised branded content over the next year and then varying between seven and nine per cent to 2015. This growth is attributed to a number of factors including the fact that branded content counteracts the heavy toll consumers are now having to pay for content (TV subscriptions, technological platforms, newspapers, apps, magazines, paywalls etc). Brands are able to build the cost of content into their marketing budget and provide free collateral to the customers in return for an engaged customer base.”
Compelling, quality content
“The overall circulation uplift in branded editorial content (both online and off) can also be explained by the industry’s drive for quality. The very nature of branded content as a marketing initiative means that the understanding of the readership (or customer base) is spot on – provide content that is not compelling and risk losing valuable customers, which no marketing director will want to face. This means that the content produced by customer publishers in terms of relevance and quality at least rivals and in some cases surpasses that of its consumer, news stand cousins. The number of journalists that have made the transition from consumer magazines to branded content is also rising with top names such as Dominic Mills making the move in recent months. Anecdotally journalists have told us that they enjoy the editorial freedom branded content affords, given it is not confined by news stand conventions. It is therefore unsurprising that consumers are turning to their favourite brands for their daily, weekly and monthly fix of what’s hot.”
Bauer Media
Today’s ABC circulation figures have seen Bauer Media reinforce its commitment to deliver world class editorial products and commercial operations with strong results across its key portfolios.
The ABC results reveal strong consumer engagement with Bauer Media products at the newsstand and through subscriptions despite the economic conditions, with its brands reaching wider audiences than ever before through multiple platforms.
Bauer Media developments in the July-December 2011 period included continued investment in its brands, particularly in above-the-line media; the appointment of Mark Frith, an experienced editorial director for the Lifestyle portfolio, and more recently a more integrated sales structure which will enable all of Bauer’s customers to buy cross-media packages more simply.
Paul Keenan, chief executive, Bauer Media, said: “We take a long term view with consistent focus and investment in our products and brands, and this has seen our reach and influence continue to grow. We deliver world-class magazines to millions of readers and these ABC results again recognise the efforts and skill of talented editorial teams. A strong performance for both Closer and heat is reward for our continued product and marketing investment, absolutely knowing who our reader is and engaging with them across multiple platforms.’
Celebrity Weeklies
Closer (w) – 467,048
Nicky Holt, publisher of Closer, commented: “Closer has seen period-on-period growth and led the celebrity weekly market for 42 weeks out of 52 by giving the reader what she wants every single week. Editor Lisa Burrow leads a fantastic editorial team that produces a breadth of celebrity, real-life and fashion content. We have continued to invest in the product with more exclusive content and added-value supplements, all supported by on-going TV advertising campaigns.”
heat (w) – 325,370
Nicky Holt, publisher of heat, commented: “heat has outperformed the competition this period, our investment in the editorial product supported by above the line marketing has helped cement our position as the premium celebrity title in the marketplace. The brand is in rude health - the magazine has ramped up its influence to the wider heat brand across its print, radio online and mobile platforms, with the total heat universe now reaching 2.8m consumers every week.”
Women's Lifestyle
Grazia (w) – 205,487
Abby Carvosso, managing director, Lifestyle, Bauer Magazines, commented: “Grazia remains the first choice magazine for an increasing number of upscale AB women. This affluent readership, coupled with the magazine’s editorial consistency and constant innovation, keeps premium advertisers flocking back to the Grazia brand. This is evidenced by our upcoming campaign with LG Mobile, who are sponsoring ‘Grazia Fashion Issue…Live!’, an online documentary series and social publishing event complementing our London Fashion Week issue. This is the first truly interactive, social experiment ever undertaken by a print product and a new and inventive way of reaching our target audiences.”
Yours (f) – 282,892
Abby Carvosso, managing director, Lifestyle, Bauer Magazines, commented: “Yours continues to perform well and this is down to the consistency of the product and absolutely knowing our audience. The Grandparents of the Year Awards, sponsored by RIAS, is just one example of the successful content which our readers enjoy. We are looking forward to celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee later this summer with readers and advertisers.”
Film
Empire (m) – 167,056
Rimi Atwal, publishing director of Empire, commented: “Empire continues to dominate the market with a world-class product and is increasingly seen as an important way to reach an upscale male audience. 2011 was a stand-out year as we successfully developed our own iPad edition, one-off iPad issues such as the recent Steven Spielberg special. Next month we look forward to another star-studded Empire Awards ceremony sponsored by Jameson’s.”
Men's Market
FHM (m) – 140,716
Rimi Atwal, publishing director of FHM, commented: "FHM continues to be the biggest-selling mainstream men’s lifestyle title in the marketplace. Under the editorship of Joe Barnes, we are focused on editorial reinvention whilst retaining the brand values of “funny, sexy, useful”. FHM is an enduring and influential cross-platform brand with highly attractive editorial properties for advertisers, as seen by the renewal of VO5 sponsoring100 Sexiest.”
Music Market
Kerrang! (w) – 42,077
MOJO (m) – 87,555
Q (m) – 77,522
Rimi Atwal, publishing director, Kerrang!, Mojo and Q, commented: “This is another solid set of results from Bauer’s influential music brands. Our compelling editorial products and deep understanding of our readers bring the experience and excitement of music to life in different ways for our audience. Mojo’s special Pink Floyd edition, our Q and U2 partnership with Bono’s active involvement and the very special Nevermind covers CD for Kerrang! are just three examples of how our brands engage with readers and their passion for music. We are also excited about Andrew Harrison’s arrival as the new Q editor. His proven track record in magazines and understanding of Q's eclectic audience makes him the ideal choice at an exciting stage of the magazine’s development.”
Motoring
Car (m) – 55,028
Practical Classics (m) – 50,439
Classic Cars (m) – 36,083
Niall Clarkson, managing director, Motoring, commented: “All three of these titles have seen period-on-period growth, which is testament to the consistently great editorial quality of our products. The recent acquisition of classiccarsforsale.co.uk has further strengthened our classics portfolio and capped a great 2011. As we enter Car’s 50th year, it remains the premium title within mainstream motoring and we have exciting plans in place to mark this milestone.”
Conde Nast
Condé Nast is pleased to announce its combined print and digital sales for the period July to December 2011, displaying continued dominance in the quality glossy sectors.
Vogue
Vogue announces a new circulation of 211,624, an increase of 0.2% in total actively purchased copies period on period, and rising 0.6% at UK newsstand, while UK print subscriptions have increased 1.9% year on year. Vogue remains the dominant magazine in the fashion and luxury market.
House & Garden
Announcing a new circulation of 127,970, House & Garden has increased UK actively purchased copies by 0.9%, with an increase of 3.8% in UK print subscriptions period on period.
Tatler
Tatler posts a new circulation of 88,700, a growth of 1.7% in total, and a 2.1% increase in total actively purchased copies year on year.
The World Of Interiors
Announcing a new circulation of 62,705, The World of Interiors posts an increase of 1%, rising 0.4% in total actively purchased sales year on year.
GQ
GQ reinforces its position as the market-leading quality men’s monthly, posting a new circulation of 125,825, growing by 7.4% in total actively purchased copies period on period, and with an increase of 31% in UK print subscriptions year on year.
Vanity Fair
A new circulation of 105,089 is announced for Vanity Fair, an increase of 5.6% in total actively purchased copies period on period. Total print subscriptions rise by 9.5%. This is a record-breaking circulation for the magazine.
Condé Nast Traveller
The world’s most discerning travel title, Condé Nast Traveller announces a new circulation of 80,989. UK newsstand has increased by 2.3%, with a growth of 1% in total sales period on period.
Glamour
In a highly competitive market, Glamour remains a leader in its sector, posting a new circulation of 467,255. Glamour celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2011, and the brand moves into its second decade with a strong multi-platform strategy.
Easy Living
Easy Living announces a new circulation of 140,242 with subscriptions of 60,940, demonstrating the loyalty of its audience. The grown-up, glamorous glossy has just been re-launched with the March issue, under the new Editorship of Deborah Joseph.
Wired
Wired continues its upwards trajectory, posting another record-breaking circulation, with a new total of 54,246, up 10.5% in total actively purchased copies and an increase in total subscriptions of 9.1% year on year.
Brides
Brides, which audits annually, retains its long-held position as the UK’s number one quality bridal magazine posting a new circulation of 60,226.
GQ STYLE, the definitive guide to men’s fashion in the UK continues to perform strongly, while bi-annual style magazine LOVE has just published its seventh issue, ‘After Taste’ and is recognised as the leading and most authoritative title in the edgy style sector.
Nicholas Coleridge, Managing Director of Condé Nast, comments: “Print is proving to be remarkably resilient at the luxury end, confounding the doom-mongers. In addition, the iPad and other tablet devices are offering exciting routes to market which is proving popular with our upmarket readership, in particular for GQ, Wired and also Vanity Fair. Our combined print and digital ABC figures indicate that quality journalism remains in demand, and we’re in good shape for the many opportunities which lie ahead.”
Dennis Publishing
The Week, Octane and Digital SLR Photography deliver impressive ABC results for Dennis Publishing
• The Week delivers 27th consecutive increase, growing 3.9% YOY to 187,536
• Digital SLR Photography shows significant growth of 7% YOY to 35,501
• Octane sees a strong increase of 6.4% YOY
• evo, Men’s Fitness and MacUser see strong iPad and digital edition sales
James Tye, CEO of Dennis Publishing said, “I’m delighted that a number of our titles have once again shown strong growth in a challenging print market. The Week especially stands out for growing its presence across multiple platforms.
If I have a frustration it is that some of our outstanding digital sales results cannot be reflected in these audits. evo would have shown a significant ABC increase if we could have included the 6,000 iPad subscribers we have, let alone the 300,000 individual downloads we have seen. The current ABC rules seem to make it extremely hard for us to include this large and influential audience in our circulation audits which in turn is not giving our advertisers the complete picture.”
• The Week – up 3.9% YOY to 187,536
Another successful ABC for Dennis Publishing’s current affairs title, The Week, with its 27th consecutive ABC increase; rising by 3.9% YOY and 2.1% POP with 7,034 new readers added. The Week continues to dominate the current affairs category with its strong subscription base of over 157,000 subscribers.
2011 also saw the simultaneous launch of The Week’s new website, theweek.co.uk, and an iPad edition, which have had a fantastic response from readers. The Week app also featured as the top grossing app in Newsstand on the first day that the open-house period ended on Friday 10th February.
Kerin O’Connor, CEO of The Week, said: "This ABC increase is a fantastic achievement in today's publishing environment. It caps our most successful ever year in business, and is testament to The Week's enduring appeal and brilliant editorial. 2011 also marked our successful foray into digital publishing with the launch of our daily news website and critically acclaimed iPad edition."
• Digital SLR Photography sees strong growth – up 7% YOY
Photography title, Digital SLR Photography, sees a significant increase with 7% YOY, taking the magazine up to a readership of 35,501 between January and December 2011.
John Garewal, Publisher, said: “Digital SLR Photography has again bucked the market and sector trends to deliver a 7% annual headline increase. Our advantage is content based. By understanding the passion of a photographer we consistently deliver fresh ideas that inspire readers to take better shots. This basic strategy, coupled with a desire to make every issue better than the last, allows us the luxury of a readership that look forward to the next and every issue.”
• Motoring – Octane and Land Rover Monthly – up 6.4% and 0.5%
Classic car title Octane sees another significant increase of 6.4% YOY rising to 37,190 and Land Rover Monthly continues to see steady growth, rising 0.5% YOY to 23,789.
Geoff Love, Publisher, said: “With a 5th ABC increase in succession, Octane continues to outperform its revivals. With French and Italian editions now in existence and with initiatives such as the International Historic Motoring Awards, Octane is establishing itself as an important international classic car brand. Land Rover Monthly also continues to set the pace within this specialist market. Since Dennis Publishing acquired the title, it has gone from strength-to-strength and with increased investment in the magazine planned for 2012, we are looking forward to closing the gap further on competitors.”
• Strong iPad sales of evo, Men’s Fitness and MacUser
Digital sales for evo have been especially strong on the iPad with over 300,000 downloads of the app from iTunes and the Apple Newsstand. evo currently has over 6,000 live and fully paid-for subscribers to its iPad edition. As the delivered content contains substantially more video and images, then it falls outside the 95% similarity ABC rule and cannot be included in the ABC certificate.
MacUser and Men’s Fitness have 3,648 and 3,987 average, monthly digital edition sales respectively which appear on the ABC certificate but not in the headline figures.
Dennis Publishing sold over £1million worth of magazines and Magbooks via the app store in the last 6 month ABC period.
Egmont Magazines
Egmont Magazines, the children’s magazine division of Egmont UK, enjoyed a set of solid ABC results for the period July 2011 to December 2011, with strong performances from its girls portfolio, Disney titles and the recently launched, We Love Pop magazine.
Egmont’s girls portfolio demonstrates that girls aged 3-16 years remain engaged and ready to consume content from print magazines, in combination with online platforms. The portfolios’ four titles, Barbie, Go Girl, Disney’s Princess and Tickerbell all enjoyed POP growth, with Go Girl the stand out performer with an increase of 11%. The portfolio reaches girls across 3-16 years and the POP increase of 3.2% cements Egmont’s in-depth understanding of this consumer demographic.
The appetite for magazines within the girls market was further highlighted following the successful launch of We Love Pop magazine in July 2011. The magazine recorded an average distribution of 58,321 for the first 6 months, which was above the targeted 50,000 for the period. The brand also made significant investment in its digital profile across Twitter and Facebook and now enjoys a solid online community of 20,000 Facebook likes and 8,700 Twitter followers who are sharing and discussing WLP’s content daily.
Egmont’s Disney licensed titles continue to perform well with the portfolio recording a year-on-year growth of 17.5% and a period on period growth of 2.5%. The link between movies and magazines is evident with the latest instalment to the Cars franchise, Cars 2, having a significant impact on the magazine’s distribution with 30.4% YOY and 30.1% POP growth. In addition, Disney & Me, which featured images from the film, saw its POP figures increase by 3.2%
Egmont’s continued investment in Toxic, the leading UK boy’s magazine, has seen the title record a 2.5% POP growth and 2.2% YOY growth. Toxic has seen a new editorial team lead a number of impactful initiatives, including ‘The Big Joke’ competition which was a national hunt for the countries funniest boy comedian. The campaign culminated with comedy duo Dick & Dom guest editing January’s Toxic issue.
Debbie Cook, Director of Magazines, Egmont Publishing Group said: “Egmont has demonstrated the strength of both our licensed products and own-brand titles with strong period on period growth across the portfolio. Through continued investment in our products, combined with a strong focus on our titles digital platforms, we have put ourselves in a strong position to continue this growth and engage our audiences. We are also excited to be involved with the innovative launch of Bin Weevils magazines, where we are extending an online brand from virtual into the print world.”
Egmont has also recently announced it will further expand its magazine portfolio with the launch of Bin Weevils magazine. The magazine will be the first brand extension to the already hugely successful social networking site which is the third most visited website in the UK for children aged 7-13.
Future Publishing
Total Film
With an ABC of 70,908, Total Film continues to extend its overall brand reach, with an online audience in rapid ascendance. For December www.totalfilm.com revealed a record 21.8 million global page views, up 170% y-o-y and 1.1 million global unique users, up 101% y-o-y (source: comScore).
The print version of Total Film is also outperforming rival Empire p-o-p and with a new editor at the helm, the magazine has become reinvigorated.
Group Publisher for Future’s Film portfolio, Clair Porteous says: “Total Film continues its commitment to developing must-read entertaining content across all platforms, and the overall brand reach is absolutely phenomenal. Despite a challenging and highly competitive print sector, it is extremely encouraging to see Total Film bigger than lifestyle brands such as Esquire and Loaded. Total Film’s brand reach is as big as it has ever been.”
GoodHomes magazine
GoodHomes magazine is delighted to announce a significant ABC increase for the period July to December 2011. The July to December 2011 ABC figure for GoodHomes is 76,113, which is a 26% year-on-year increase and the best six month ABC figure for GoodHomes since Kelsey Publishing acquired the magazine from the BBC in 2009.
GoodHomes Publisher Stephen Curtis said: “This is a great result for GoodHomes. From the April 2011 issue, Kelsey Publishing reduced the GoodHomes cover price from £3.30 to just £1.99. This cover price decrease was implemented as part of a new strategy to increase copy sales by giving GoodHomes readers even better value for their money in these tough economic times. The production quality of the magazine and editorial design, focus and content remain the same; targeting ABC1 homeowners”
H Bauer
Classic Sector
Bella: Strength of editorial delivers winning results at the newsstand
Bella ABC: 234,646 = POP -2.1%, YOY -4.3% Overall market = POP -1.7%, YOY -9.3%
In the traditional woman’s weeklies sector, H Bauer’s Bella demonstrates the power of strong editorial over short-term promotional tactics. With an ABC of 234,646 Bella has increased its year on year share of the classic market by adhering to its core promise of delivering the most entertaining mix of fashion, real life stories, daytime TV celebrity gossip, health and beauty. This ABC performance sees Bella consolidate its position over its competitors in full price single copy UK newsstand sales, and places Bella in a healthy position for continued growth, whilst its competitors struggle to shore up their circulation figures with multi-packing and discounting.
True Life Sector
Take a Break: Double the sales of its nearest competitor
Take a Break ABC: 791,001 = POP -1.6%, YOY -5.1%
H Bauer's Take a Break, the UK’s biggest selling women’s magazine, has increased its lead in the true life market, selling over double the volume of any other true life weekly. With an ABC of 791,001, Take a Break has gained market share with circulation figures, down only -1.6% period on period and -5.1% year on year, whilst others have seen double digit decreases in their year on year performance. Take a Break remains focused on delivering the best true life stories and it is a strategy that continues to engage its large and diverse female readership.
that’s life!: Delivers a market-leading performance
that’s life! ABC: 326,481 = POP +1.6%, YOY -2.8% Overall market = POP -2.4%, YOY -7.8%
Meanwhile, that’s life!, the number three title in its sector, has put in the strongest performance of the market overall with an ABC of 326,481, up 1.6% period on period. That’s life’s focus on finding the best stories, delivering great reads and doing the simple things well is the core reason behind this success.
Food Sector
Eat In: Forges new ground with double digit growth both period on period and year and year
Eat In ABC: 22,008 = POP +52.5%, YOY +35.3%
In the food sector, H Bauer’s Eat In is forging new ground in delivering a magazine packed with affordable, easy-to-follow, every day recipes. This fresh approach is proving to be a hit with cash strapped consumers keen to make the most of their household cooking budgets. Eat In posts an ABC of 22,008, up 52.5% period on period and 35.5% year on year and signs are that Eat In will continue to grow in the coming months.
TV Listings Sector
TVChoice: 9th consecutive period as Britain’s best-selling magazine
TVChoice ABC: 1,304,382 = POP -3.7%, YOY -4.3%
TVChoice posts an ABC of 1,304,382 and enjoys its 9th consecutive period as Britain’s number one paid for magazine, outselling its nearest competitor by over 50,000 copies per week. With the recession biting ever more into household budgets, TVChoice continues to offer the nation the best value for making the most out of our favourite past time.
Total TVGuide: Britain’s biggest-rising TV listings magazine
Total TVGuide ABC: 122,927 = POP +4.7%, YOY +1.3%
Total TVGuide, H Bauer’s premium multi-channel TV listings title is the success story of the TV listings sector, being the only title in the market to show growth both period and year on year. Total TVGuide posts an ABC of 122,927 up 4.7% period on period and 1.3% year on year, and with London and Meridian switching to digital in the coming months, the desire for comprehensive and authoritative digital viewing information is likely to further benefit this title.
Spiritual Sector
Spirit & Destiny: Britain’s number one spiritual lifestyle magazine
Spirit & Destiny ABC: 53,007 = POP +1.2%, YOY -4.3%
Spirit & Destiny, H Bauer’s monthly spiritual lifestyle magazine for women posts an ABC of 53,007, remaining market leader and three times the size of its closest competitor. Spirit & Destiny is the only magazine to offer comprehensive information and inspiration on all matters to do with astrology, psychics, holistic therapies and alternative lifestyles.
Immediate Media Co
Annual growth of 0.2%, subscriptions up 5.4% to over 1 million, Pre-school up 24.1%.
Immediate Media Company’s debut ABC results show annual growth, with a strong overall circulation figure of 3,354,226 for July-December 2011, up 0.2% year on year and up 8.9% period on period. This growth is driven by a portfolio of quality brands, along with strong debut ABCs and an increase in subscriptions, which are up 5.4% year on year to 1,007,171.
Immediate Media Co was formed on 1 November 2011 following the merger of BBC Magazines, Origin Publishing and Magicalia, so these are the first ABC results for titles published under the Immediate Media Co banner. The company publishes a range of wholly-owned titles and websites, as well as contract and licensed brands on behalf of clients, including BBC Worldwide.
Immediate Media Co CEO, Tom Bureau said: “Delivering year on year growth in these ABCs really highlights the strength of Immediate Media Co’s portfolio, and we are very pleased with the results. We are focused on a brand-led, cross-media strategy with magazines as a key component. We are excited about the future.”
The highlights of Immediate Media Co’s ABC results for July-December 2011 include:
• An excellent performance across its pre-school portfolio, up 24.1% year on year (y-o-y). This includes excellent growth across the CBeebies portfolio including CBeebies Art, at 63,679, (up 23.4% y-o-y), and from CBeebies Weekly, at 55,516, up 2.2% y-o-y, as well as a strong debut from Octonauts magazine at 61,750, CBeebies Weekly remains the UK’s top children’s title in terms of circulation;
• Radio Times retains its market-leading position as the UK’s best-selling quality magazine, with a weekly circulation of 925,373. Radio Times is the third biggest selling magazine in the UK magazine market, and with subscriptions up 12.0% year on year to a record 213, 129, it continues to be the biggest selling UK weekly magazine by subscription;
• A very strong set of results from specialist factual titles, including BBC History, up 4.2% y-o-y at 72,271; Homes & Antiques is also up 5.9% y-o-y at 64,563;
• Gardeners’ World Magazine delivers annual growth of 2.0%, at 216,620, retaining its market-leading position;
• Top Gear and Good Food deliver robust performances and retain their market-leading positions at 180,208 and 313,009 respectively; Lonely Planet is stable year on year, at 60,125, retaining its position as the largest actively purchased title in the market;
• The World of Cross Stitching becomes the No.1 title in its sector at 40,764, up 6.6% year on year. Our three other audited craft titles also post increases, notably Quick Cards Made Easy (18,637), up 9.2% year on year;
• Hair Ideas retains its no.1 position as the UK’s best-selling hair magazine at 53,690;
• A robust debut from Perfect Wedding magazine at 22,074;
• Immediate Media Co now has over 1 million subscriptions (1,007,171, up 5.4% year on year), placing the company in the number one position in terms of subscriptions among UK publishers.
Lonely Planet Magazine
Alfie Lewis, Group Publishing Director, Lonely Planet Magazine: “Lonely Planet Magazine remains the UK’s number one actively-purchased travel magazine, and delivers another robust ABC figure at 60,125, stable YOY. In only three years, the magazine has seen sensational circulation growth and attracted loyal and engaged subscribers. The magazine has just launched its first ever iPad app, Dream Trips (from iTunes, £3.99). Based on a successful bookazine of the same name, Dream Trips is a collection of the world’s best travel experiences, including walking the immense dunes of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast or sailing the South Pacific islands. The title is also enjoying international success: after recent editions in Taiwan and Thailand, the title is set to launch in China in Spring 2012, which will be its 11th international version.”
Radio Times
Kathy Day, MD Radio Times: “Radio Times, the UK’s biggest selling quality magazine – and the third biggest selling magazine across all markets - has grown by 2.7% period on period to deliver an ABC of 925,373. This performance sees RT increase its share of the premium listings market and it now outsells the rest of the premium titles put together by over 334k copies a week with a share of 61%. Subscriptions are up a massive 12% year on year to a record 213,129, retaining Radio Times’ position as the biggest selling UK weekly magazine by subscription.
Radio Times is a powerful and trusted brand, with a fast-growing reputation for big news scoops, grabbing the headlines and getting talked about across both print and digital. Radiotimes.com has seen record numbers of unique users flocking to the site as the brand cements its position as the definitive source of entertainment news, guidance and listings.”
Gardeners’ World Magazine
Dominic Murray, Publishing Director, Gardeners’ World Magazine: “It is a fantastic achievement that Gardeners’ World Magazine has posted YOY growth for the second successive ABC period, and testament to the strategy we put in place last year to re-invigorate the title. We now have just under 160,000 subscribers, a record total, as more readers than ever choose to engage with us on a long term basis. Gardeners’ World is the 7th most subscribed to monthly consumer magazine in the UK, thanks to the power of the brand, a refreshed editorial proposition, and the package of added value and exclusive benefits we now provide to our loyal subscribers.
“The innovation continues as we strengthen our position as the primary destination for gardeners across all media. Having recently re-launched the website, gardenersworld.com, on the Immediate Media platform, we are publishing two bookazines and iPad apps, Grow Your Own and 100 Best Plants in Spring 2012.”
Food Group
Alfie Lewis, Publishing Director, Food Group: “Despite a tough climate on the newsstand, Good Food continues to lead the market and invest, with a successful cover mount on our November issue and an innovative cardboard wallet on the key Christmas issue. We have seen growth over the last six months and the award winning iPad version goes from strength to strength, now the most successful lifestyle magazine app, with more than 350,000 downloads so far. Our strategy of offering the magazine’s archive of content in different ways continues to bear fruit and people continue to access Good Food’s archive online, with a truly staggering 5.4 million unique users in December 2011.
“The Home Cooking series brand extension has shown impressive year on year growth as we continue to offer Good Food content in new and innovative ways.
“Easy Cook is the magazine that started the budget cooking magazine marketplace, where many others have now followed. Its success is the reason we now have 10 issues per year and despite lots of competition it has also delivered a double figure period on period increase.”
“olive continues to perform robustly after a series of year on year circulation increases. As we approach its 100th issue, olive is a firm fixture in the foodie world, leading the national conversation on food with several scoops such as its ‘top foodie towns’ feature and a recent feature on The One Show. With an iPad planned to launch soon, the future looks bright for this stylish and established food brand.”
Top Gear Magazine
Simon Carrington, Publisher, Top Gear Magazine: “We are really pleased that Top Gear magazine retains its market leadership, with a 48.7% share of the monthly motoring market. In what has been a difficult period for magazine sales, Top Gear’s market leadership is proof that great writing, innovative content and a strong brand are as appealing as ever to magazine readers.
“The growing volume (up 2% in the last 6 months) of people accessing our content online through www.Topgear.com and via Top Gear’s Social Media in the past 6 months (Top Gear reached its ten millionth follower on Facebook in January) is also testament to our continued investment in quality journalism.
“A great deal of that content goes round the world too: internationally, Top Gear magazine has enjoyed a great period of growth as our international portfolio has grown to 31 titles.”
Practical Parenting
Duncan Tickell, Publishing Director, Practical Parenting: “In a sector that is rapidly migrating to online Practical Parenting continues to engage with its audience across multiple platforms. Our strategy to create the leading cross-media portfolio in the parenting sector is on track. In delivering strong organic growth, and through appropriate acquisitions, we have created a market leading portfolio that reaches in excess of 800,000 mums every month.”
Youth & Children’s
Toni Round, MD, Youth & Children’s titles, Immediate Media Co: “In a really tough market we are delighted that the Youth and Children’s Group has delivered impressive overall year on year growth of 10.4%. We’ve achieved this with the fantastic performance of several of our pre-school titles, most notably the CBeebies portfolio and a very strong debut from our newest magazine, Octonauts, which launched in November. While some of our more established brands have reported a decline, in the context of this difficult market, we’ve seen a robust performance from our titles. Doctor Who Adventures is the second biggest-selling children’s title, in terms of retail sales value, and Match of the Day magazine remains the market-leading title in the youth football category.”
Pauline Cooke, Publisher Pre-school titles, Immediate Media Co: “I’m really pleased with this fantastic performance across our pre-school portfolio, which is up an impressive 24.1% overall year on year and 5.4% POP.
“One of the keys to this result is the popularity of the CBeebies magazine portfolio: CBeebies Art in particular has shown impressive year on year growth of 23.44%, as well as continued strong performances from CBeebies Weekly, up year on year at 55,516. I’m also delighted with the strong debut from Octonauts magazine of 61,750 and of the continuing popularity of Something Special Magazine, which has also delivered another good performance, at 54,791.”
Immediate Media Co - Bristol
Andy Healy, Publisher, Homes & Antiques: “A second annual circulation rise and another fantastic result for our esteemed homes magazine. It’s up 5.9% year-on-year, confirming that the vintage trend is still growing. In the latest period we’ve had our highest subs number and best-selling single issue for five years, and the success continues. Growth in this market is rare, but we're bucking the trends and pulling in new readers every day.”
Andy Healy, Publisher, BBC History Magazine: “A record 12 consecutive circulation rises and this one takes us past the 70,000 mark with no signs of slowing down. Our take on the past is now delivered globally and on multiple platforms, meaning we can delight our broadening audience wherever they are and however they want to interact with us.”
Andy Healy, Publisher, Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine: “We’re still the best selling UK genealogy magazine! It's great to see a YOY increase and such a high proportion of readers subscribing. The Who Do You Think You Are? brand continues to dominate, inspire and regenerate this market with its unique approach to family history, and we're absolutely delighted to be part of such a ground-breaking success story.”
Jemima Ransome, Publisher, Countryfile Magazine: “Up a further 12.2% year-on-year, Countryfile Magazine is now the market leader, the only magazine in its sector delivering growth. With the trend continuing for short breaks in the UK, Countryfile Magazine is the perfect source of information and inspiration, regularly pointing readers in the direction of new places to explore with suggestions of what to see and do when they get there. The title’s exceptional subscriptions growth stands as a testament to Countryfile Magazine’s ongoing appeal.”
Jemima Ransome, Publisher, BBC Wildlife Magazine: “BBC Wildlife Magazine turns in another very strong performance this period. The magazine’s new look, unveiled in the autumn, has enjoyed an exceptional response from readers translating into stronger than anticipated sales towards the end of the period. The runaway success of the BBC’s Frozen Planet goes to show the enduring appeal of natural history, which BBC Wildlife Magazine continues to capitalise on, as this ABC shows.”
Jemima Ransome, Publisher, Gardens Illustrated: “Up a further 2.4% year on year, Gardens Illustrated continues to go from strength to strength. It is now firmly established as the industry’s style-bible. The magazine continues to be hugely influential, guiding its readers’ choices on planting and design and showcasing the latest must-have garden accessories. With editor Juliet Roberts recently recognised as one of the most influential people in gardening, Gardens Illustrated is the place to be for high-end brands.”
Andrew Davies, Publisher, BBC Music Magazine: “BBC Music Magazine comfortably retains its crown as the world’s best-selling classical music magazine. September 2012 marks the title’s 20th anniversary and with a raft of special initiatives and features planned over the next twelve months to celebrate, the future is bright for this industry and reader favourite.”
Andrew Davies, Publisher, Focus Magazine: “I’m extremely pleased with the performance of Focus this period. New Editor Graham Southorn’s passion for science and hunger to drive the Focus brand forward has resulted in a 1.9% rise period on period, meaning that the title is once again showing growth in what continues to be a very turbulent market. With a striking redesign planned for the June issue, I have every confidence that we will maintain this growth going forward.”
Andrew Davies, Publisher, Sky at Night Magazine: “Sky at Night Magazine continues to impress, rising 3.4% POP and 7.2% YOY to achieve a very satisfying ABC posting of 23,564. This figure demonstrates the strength of trust in the brand, and we are looking forward to capitalising on this with the surge of new interest in astronomy fuelled in part by the BBC’s hit TV show Stargazing Live, which has made the cosmos cool once again.”
Andy Healy, Publisher, 220 Triathlon: “We're delighted to post a year-on-year increase and again reaffirm our position as the number one UK magazine for triathletes. 220 Triathlon consistently delivers quality editorial to its growing audience and manages to create the perfect mix for inspiring and aiding triathletes of all levels. Olympics fever has set in and will be a great catalyst for this fast growing sport - we're looking forward to another year of fantastic performance.”
Craft Portfolio
Cath Potter, Publishing Director, Immediate Media Co’s Craft portfolio: “We are absolutely delighted with these ABC results which show that Immediate Media has the No.1 titles in both the needlecraft and crafts sectors. The World of Cross Stitching has achieved market leadership for the first time with an ABC of 40,764, up 6.6% YOY, and Cardmaking & Papercraft retains its No.1 position for the second consecutive year with an ABC of 37,306. All four of our audited titles within the craft sector have shown YOY growth.
“The World of Cross Stitching has performed strongly in the UK, but subscriptions and international growth have also been outstanding. These results are testament to the quality of the title and our commitment to understanding and delivering what our readers want, in the context of a changing craft marketplace. Cross Stitch Crazy has also outperformed the market, growing its ABC by 2.3% YOY, and The World of Cross Stitching and Cross Stitch Crazy together give Immediate Media the leading 61.0% share of the UK newsstand market.
“Cardmaking & Papercraft has performed exceptionally well against the crafts market, up 1.7% year-on-year. Quick Cards Made Easy has increased its ABC an impressive 9.2%, driven by subscriptions and export. This is the second consecutive year of ABC growth for both these titles.”
Hair
Alison Wood, Acting Publisher of Immediate Media’s Hair Portfolio: “Immediate Media’s Hair Ideas continues to lead the market as the best-selling hair magazine in the UK, selling more than double the volume of its closest competitor.
“We’re delighted that Hair Ideas continues to shine as the UK’s no.1 hair magazine. The sector is undergoing some extremely tough trading conditions, and it is a credit to the editorial excellence and polished design of the title that it continues to outperform the market to such a large extent.”
“Your Hair, whilst showing a decline, is the only A4 hair title to release an ABC this year, and is the best-performing A4 in the hair market year-on-year. The title has increased its market share and attracts loyal, engaged readers looking for an authoritative, fashionable, must-have read for women passionate about hair.”
Perfect Wedding
Cath Potter, Publishing Director, Perfect Wedding: “This year’s strategic investment and editorial focus on delivering a compelling package for brides who want real style on a budget, has paid off. Now the most competitively priced magazine in the market, Perfect Wedding is well placed to strengthen its position in 2012, and we are really excited to be part of the expanded portfolio which includes You & Your Wedding, Wedding Day Venues, youandyourwedding.co.uk and www.planyourperfectwedding.com.”
IPC Media
IPC Media CEO Sylvia Auton says: “IPC continues to weather the challenging times well and I am delighted that we are once again the UK’s leading magazine publisher by both value and volume.
“A number of really strong sectors have proved resilient to these harsh times. It is notable that empty nesters and those without dependent children are continuing to buy our magazines in large numbers as can be seen by the excellent results from Marie Claire, woman&home, InStyle, Woman’s Weekly and Country Life.
“At the same time, as cash-strapped consumers continue to make the home the focus of their social and family activities, brands including TVTimes, GoodtoKnow Recipes, Style At Home and Amateur Gardening are also faring well.”
Fashion and Premium Sectors
Marie Claire posts an ABC of 266,881, a 6.4% increase on the period and a 0.7% year-on-year rise. The brand has also outperformed the market during this period, with strong growth being driven by its newsstand performance. The success can be attributed to a consistent focus on understanding and delivering a strong editorial product for its core audience of successful, confident, ambitious women.
InStyle, fashion’s most accessible style bible, delivers circulation growth posting an ABC of 176,002, up 0.5% period-on-period . The brand continues to innovate for both readers and advertisers, with notable highlights including Film InStyle, an enviable event celebrating the unique union of fashion film and celebrity, and Best Beauty Buys 2012, sponsored by John Lewis.
Country Life delivers an ABC of 38,054. Up 2.3% year-on-year, this marks the second consecutive ABC increase for the weekly title. Country Life continues to be a sought-after product of great quality with superb editorial. Its latest Christmas double issue was the biggest-selling issue of the magazine since records began.
Posting an ABC of 105,328 Wallpaper*, the international design, fashion and lifestyle bible, is at the forefront of multi-platform publishing and continues to extend its brand in creative fields. Sales of its iPad and Zinio editions also continue to grow. Its innovation was honoured at the BSME Awards with editor-in-chief Tony Chambers awarded Editor of the Year 2011 for lifestyle magazines.
Women’s Lifestyle and Entertainment
Posting an ABC of 128,906, Essentials celebrates its fifth consecutive year-on-year circulation increase with strong ABC growth, up 1.6% on the period and 2% on the year. It offers readers excellent value in a positive, upbeat proposition, and stands out in its celebration of its readers.
With an ABC of 379,896, up 2.6% on the period, woman&home, the monthly
glossy for 40-plus women, continues to be the biggest selling monthly women’s lifestyle title on the newsstand. The brand launched another brand extension woman&home Feel Good You, which was well received by the market and consumers.
Woman’s Weekly, which celebrated its centenary during the period, continues to be a consistent player and remains number one in the traditional sector, posting an ABC of 342,532. The title was up 1% period-on-period on the newsstand demonstrating the continued loyalty and spending power of its highly engaged 50-plus consumers. The title’s strength is further demonstrated by the popularity of its burgeoning specials portfolio, which saw 32 titles spanning Woman's Weekly's key content pillars published during the year.
Woman, the charismatic and entertaining read for the modern family woman, reports an ABC of 282,189. The recent refresh had a positive response from consumers and advertisers and as a result the title has retained market leadership in the sector.
IPC Connect’s GoodtoKnow Recipes, launched from the UK’s leading women’s lifestyle website GoodtoKnow.co.uk, posts an ABC of 40,927 up 8.4% period-on-period. The title serves the needs of the budget conscious consumer, and its success is further evidence of the UK’s growing passion for home baking and entertaining.
Meanwhile, IPC Southbank’s quarterly woman&home Feel Good Food is up 1.6% year-on-year, with an ABC of 65,683.
IPC Media is the leading publisher in the TV sector, with an overall market share by volume up 0.4% year-on-year to 44.3%. Consumers continue to look to TV titles to enhance their leisure time and IPC Media’s brands are well positioned to offer quality in both budget and premium products.
What’s on TV outperforms the market year-on-year, reporting an ABC of 1,253,697, and a retail sales value up 1.8% year-on-year to £32m. TVTimes reports an ABC of 294,765 up 1.5% period-on-period, delivering a strong performance in the premium end of the market.
Home Interest
Market leader IPC Southbank continues to outperform the total homes market, with a year-on-year increase of 8.2% and an increased market share of 45.3% from 42.5%. The growth is driven by strong performance by pillar brands as well as the success of Style At Home, the new entrant in the value sector.
Style At Home builds on its debut ABC last period with an impressive period-on-period growth of 36.6%. Posting an ABC of 71,806, the title has brought new readers to the market, delivering a quality editorial proposition for those looking for budget, chic interiors.
With a 7.8% year-on-year rise, and its fifth consecutive period-on-period increase, Country Homes & Interiors is the star performer of the home interest market. Its ABC of 97,286 gives the title its highest circulation in over eight years. Dedicated to classic and modern country style, Country Homes & Interiors captures today’s mood of people dreaming of a different kind of life.
Livingetc, the UK’s bestselling modern homes title, posts an ABC of 98,143, showing strong growth of 1.7% on the year, firmly cementing its position as the favourite homes magazine for affluent, design-savvy readers.
Homes & Gardens, with its mix of beautiful features, real-life homes, expert advice and practical information, continues to lead the premium traditional sector with an ABC of 138,868, up by 1.1% year-on-year.
Sport and Hobbies
IPC Inspire’s Amateur Gardening posts an ABC of 36,462, up 3.6% year-on-year. Sales on the newsstand have also increased, up 5.1% year-on-year, marking Amateur Gardening’s biggest year-on-year newsstand increase since 1999.
Golf Monthly takes market leadership in its centenary year, posting an ABC of 60,130, up 2.3% period-on-period and 9.3% year-on-year. Its newsstand sales have also increased on the year, up 7.5%. Golf Monthly’s performance both on the newsstand and through subscriptions contributes to its biggest year-on-year increase since January to June 2008.
Capitalising on a World Cup year, Rugby World posts a strong ABC of 40,057, up 3.8% year-on-year, and 8.7% year-on-year at the newsstand.
The UK’s passion for cycling continues to grow. Cycling Active makes a strong entrance to the market, posting a solid ABC of 22,078 and sister title Cycle Sport posts an ABC of 16,597, an increase of 1.7% year-on-year.
Music and Men’s Interest
Nuts, Britain’s bestselling men’s magazine, reports an ABC of 114,116, up 0.1% period-on-period. Nuts continues to lead the men’s weekly market, selling more than twice as many copies each week as its nearest competitor. The period-on-period uplift can be attributed to a successful refresh in August. Nuts also continues to expand the brand’s overall reach through its website, smartphone apps, live events, and the launch of its first print one shot, ‘The Girls of Nuts’, during this period.
With an ABC of 27,650, NME continues to inform, entertain and inspire 16-24 year-old music fans through its multiple touch points. Across its various platforms, the NME brand reaches over one million consumers a week. This period also saw the launch of NME Extra, an initiative aimed at rewarding dedicated NME readers by giving them exclusive access to additional content online at NME.com. NME also remains committed to its international expansion, recently developing more partnerships with international festivals and a soon-to-launch Indian edition of the magazine and website.
Additional Commentary from IPC Media’s Managing Directors
Fiona Dent, managing director, IPC Connect, says: “Despite the tough conditions for our consumers, we’ve seen some strong performances in key sectors. IPC Connect’s TV titles, including TVTimes and What’s on TV, continue to go from strength-to-strength. At Christmas, for the fifth consecutive year, What’s on TV was the no.1 selling TV weekly, seeing strong revenue growth of 4.6% year-on-year, testament to the editorial quality of the brand. IPC Connect’s TV brands are at the forefront of editorial innovation meaning we are well placed to capitalise on the trend for consumers to entertain themselves at home, with TV being the core entertainment choice.
“In the woman’s lifestyle weekly market, Woman continues to lead the sector, and has delivered fantastic editorial exclusives in the period. Woman’s Weekly rounds off an exceptional Centenary year, which included the publication of a premium-priced 100 years celebratory issue, and once again saw Woman’s Weekly outperform competitors to extend its volume and value share of the traditional sector.”
Paul Williams, managing director, IPC Inspire, says: “What is really pleasing is that the investment and development we put into our editorial products means we are consistently outperforming our competitors. Work I’m particularly proud of includes the redevelopment of Nuts, leading to a period-on-period increase, Country Life delivering its second consecutive ABC increase, and a really great performance from a whole host of our sports titles, which bodes well for an Olympic year.”
Jackie Newcombe, managing director, IPC Southbank, says: “IPC Southbank has once again demonstrated that it publishes some of the UK’s most successful brands, such as Marie Claire, Livingetc and Essentials. We have grown our market share in key sectors, launched Style At Home, a successful new title for the homes sector, and created popular brand extensions. This performance has been driven by the talent of our editors and the commercial teams who work so hard to market the fantastic magazines that they produce.
“We are also more integrated across print and digital than any of our key competitors and so this period has also seen unprecedented activity in web, mobile and app development, which has strengthened our position as the UK’s no.1 publisher of content for upmarket women.”
Professional Publishers Association (PPA)
PPA analysis of the figures illustrates stable demand for the medium in print, with the Total Average Issue Net Circulation only marginally lower than the same period the previous year (-1.4%).
On an annual basis, the magazines included within this auditing period have a combined total circulation of 1.2bn, which equates to 3.3m magazines being distributed every day or 2,320 every minute.
Sectors to report notable year-on-year circulation increases include Teenage Lifestyle (+28.0%), Children's Magazines: Pre-School (+10.0%), and Women's Slimming (+6.8%).
The News & Current Affairs: Domestic sector also built on previous circulation gains with a rise of 12.3% in this reporting period. There were also year-on-year increases for Countryside & County: National (+3.3%), Weddings & Brides (+3.1%), and Home Interest (+1.1%).
Barry McIlheney, CEO of the PPA, said: "Magazines yet again demonstrate their worth in the eyes of consumers and advertisers in this latest set of circulation figures from ABC.
"As our recent Publishing Futures study showed, the race to connect with audiences across a diverse range of platforms continues apace but these figures are a welcome reminder of the widespread reach and deep engagement of the medium in print."
Within this release, consumer magazines can separately report digital edition sales alongside a print figure on the same certificate. In the July to December 2011 release, ABC has registered a period-on-period increase of 400% in the number of titles reporting digital editions, up from 16 to 72.
McIlheney added: "In keeping with the rest of the industry, reporting standards are constantly changing. The ability to report digital edition figures alongside print circulation has been a step forward for publishers, and we will see further progress later this year when publishers can report on the Multi-Platform Certificate, launched at the end of 2011."
ShortList Media
ShortList
ShortList magazine today announces its new official ABC figure of 526,359 covering the six-month period from Jul-Dec 2011.
An all-too-rare success story within the men’s magazine sector, this represents an increase of 0.9% year-on-year and 0.5% period-on-period, and is ShortList’s eighth consecutive ABC increase since its launch in September 2007.
ShortList’s blend of style, news, film, cars, sport, tech and business has already made it Britain’s biggest men’s magazine, with a volume market share now in excess of 40%, and this latest set of results are testament to ShortList’s commitment to intelligent editorial, sophisticated content, iconic covers and stunning visuals.
During this six-month period, the magazine’s cover stars included Noel Gallagher, Justin Timberlake, Usain Bolt, Ryan Gosling and Tom Hardy, continuing the tradition of interviews with high-profile personalities. Meanwhile, major editorial initiatives included special features on Muhammad Ali, Steve Jobs, the 10-year anniversary of The Office, Ian Hislop’s turn as guest editor and ShortList’s landmark 200th issue featuring an exclusive interview with Johnny Depp.
Editor Martin Robinson says: “It’s been another outstanding period for ShortList, as we continue to dominate the men’s market with an aspirational and adventurous weekly that we’re all immensely proud of. The exceptional team at ShortList is determined to make 2012 a truly memorable year for our loyal readers.”
Publisher Darren Singh says: “ShortList’s continued success is proof that the right magazine, with the right approach to reaching its readers, can still find a quality audience. It’s clear that the modern, urban man wants a title he can read with pride in public.”
Stylist
Stylist, the intelligent women’s fashion and lifestyle weekly, has recorded its fourth consecutive ABC increase since launch. With a new ABC figure of 429,034, the title is up 1% year-on-year and 0.5% period-on-period for Jul-Dec 2011.
During this last six-month period, Stylist has celebrated its 100th issue - which was edited entirely by readers, a genuine media first; produced a 124-page glossy fashion special with supermodel cover star Alek Wek and welcomed Nigella Lawson to become its guest editor for an issue, a collaboration that produced one of the most talked about magazine covers of 2011. This week, Stylist’s spring/summer 2012 Fashion edition was published, featuring global superstar Kylie Minogue modelling outfits by 25 of the world’s top designers – including Chanel, Tom Ford, Victoria Beckham and Stella McCartney.
Glenda Marchant, Stylist’s publisher, says: ‘’It’s been another amazing six months for Stylist. A weekly magazine must offer variety to its readers and, thanks to Lisa Smosarski and her wonderful editorial team, Stylist delivers innovative and exciting issues every seven days. The advertising base is also growing constantly, with more than 40 new advertisers in 2011 and luxury groups such as Richemont and power brand Parfums Christian Dior working with us already this year, 2012 looks set to be another landmark year for Stylist.’’
Slimming World
Just like its readers, Slimming World magazine is celebrating fabulous new figures after recording the biggest circulation increase of all actively purchased titles and making the top 10 of the magazine charts for the first time in its 14-year history.
The figures released by the Audit Bureau of Circulations today, which show Slimming World magazine sold 400,485 copies between July and December 2011, see it move four places further up the actively purchased magazines league table from 14th to 10th. It has jumped nine places in the last 12 months from 19th, and these latest ABCs for July-December 2011 are the highest ever recorded by a slimming title – a 19.5% increase year-on-year and up 15% period-on-period. This phenomenal growth means Slimming World has seen the greatest increase in circulation figures of all actively purchased titles period-on-period, bucking the downward trend currently afflicting so many magazines across the board.
Slimming World magazine, which supports members of UK weight-loss organisation Slimming World’s 8,000 weekly slimming groups as well as introducing new people to the club via the newsstand, has held the top spot in the Women’s Diet and Lifestyle sector for six years. Today’s figures also show it has increased its dominance as other titles in the sector have seen a significant drop in sales year-on-year. It now outsells its closest rival Weightwatchers magazine by 217,400 copies and sits 37 places above it in the actively purchased rankings.
The figures represent the biggest ever rise Slimming World magazine has seen and the sixth increase in as many years, but it’s not the first time the title has broken records. In 2009 it became the first-ever slimming magazine to sell more than 300,000 copies, in 2010 it was the first to reach the top 20 actively purchased titles, and now it has broken the 400,000 barrier and the top 10 as well as celebrating the biggest increase of all actively purchased titles period-on-period.
Editor and Publisher Elise Wells believes the magazine’s strong reader focus is key to its success. She says: “We’re not about fads or celebrities. Instead our cover stars are real-life successful slimmers, who’ve lost weight at their local Slimming World group, just like so many of our readers.”
This reader focus was at the heart of the magazine’s recent content and design refresh, which debuted in the October 2011 issue. Elise adds: “We know that a lot of consumers are continuing to tighten their belts and magazines are often viewed as a luxury. We’ve striven to invest in quality and provide our readers with content that offers real value for money – more honest slimming success stories with useful help and advice from real people; more practical and emotional features to help readers overcome weight-loss hurdles; and more real food and recipe ideas that are suitable for the whole family.
“We’ve listened to our readers’ ideas and feedback and, at a time when many magazines have been forced to cut back, Slimming World has invested in quality and in providing our readers with a package tailored to them, including launching the Slimming World magazine app in September 2011. These figures demonstrate that our efforts have paid off and we’re delighted.”
Slimming World magazine launched in 1998 as the flagship publication of Slimming World, the UK’s largest weight-loss organisation. The organisation was founded in 1969 to offer weight-loss support that promised slimmers they could lose weight without going hungry or being humiliated. Slimming World now welcomes more than 400,000 members every week. Slimming World magazine is sold in Slimming World’s 8,000 groups and on newsstands.
