During 2020 over 140,000 issues of magazines were distributed and read 99 million times on Readly digital magazine app, says the company.
The subjects and articles that captured the attention of UK readers this year were home-related activities such as DIY, craft and cooking but travel and motoring also made the top five.
Insights from 2020 show that the DIY & craft category, food & drink and interior design have increased the most in the UK and show a similar pattern globally. Looking back on the year’s most read articles and subjects, travel restrictions and lockdown have led subscribers to focus more on activities in the home.
Most popular categories
The categories that increased the most during 2020, compared with 2019, measured in the total number of readers in the UK were:
- Craft & DIY (81%)
- Food & Drink (40%)
- Interior design (29%)
- Travel & regional (18%)
- Cars & Motoring (15%)
“It is noticeable that we have had a different kind of year. The fact that reading trends in subjects such as home renovation, decoration and cooking has increased markedly indicates the need many people have had to keep busy during the year and in particular during the lockdown months. It also reflects that people had more time to spend in their homes, gardens and kitchens. The magazines have been used as a great source of inspiration and knowledge for various projects and I think this reading trend will continue well into next year,” says Chris Couchman, Content Lead UK for Readly.
Most read articles in 2020
This year's analysis of the most read articles on Readly globally has also shown a clear link to the trends during the pandemic, from the purchase of new pets to the best bread recipes as well as gardening tips and tricks. The articles were:
- “How to tell what a cat is thinking” from How it Works.
- “The accidental gardener” from Country Living - UK
- “Worst dates ever” from Cosmopolitan UK
- “Your home-guide to sourdough” from BBC Good Food
- “Modern Manners”, how to deal with nosy neighbours from The Lady
“2020 has laid the foundation for many to discover new areas of interest. Those who have discovered their passion for sourdough, replanted their gardens or acquired pets will probably continue to spend time on their hobbies in 2021 too,” says Chris Couchman.
Readly has 5,000 magazines available to read on the app and a growing portfolio of national newspapers, says the company.
You can find out more about Readly in our Publishing Services Directory.
