View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
February 24, 2005updated 22 Nov 2022 2:28pm

Grazia not a threat say upbeat glossies

By Press Gazette

By Maxine Clayman

Women’s glossies are strong enough to withstand the multi-million
pound launch of Grazia , editors have insisted, following a set of ABCs
that show booming interest from readers.

Glamour retained the top spot in the monthly sector, producing a
record ABC figure of 620,391, up seven per cent year-on-year, while
biggest rival Cosmopolitan also reported its highest figure in the past
24 years, with a 4 per cent rise to 478,394. IPC’s Marie-Claire
recorded a year-on-year sales rise of seven per cent to 384,502.

The sector overall fared well with a growth of 21 per cent. Essentials suffered the biggest circulation slump, down 14 per cent.

Jo Elvin, editor of Condé Nast’s Glamour, attributed the success of the sector to the impact of her title on the market.

She
said: “Everyone’s been working hard to catch up to our ABC, pulled
their finger out and thought, ‘What can we do?’, which to be perfectly
honest is copying Glamour – the size, the price cutting. It’s obvious,
particularly Cosmo with its redesign.

“What’s gratifying for me is despite the competition we’re still growing.”

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Sam
Baker, editor of Cosmo, said the title’s rise was due to a refocus on
core issues, as well as a redesign and new cover formula. But she
denied the sector had cause for concern about Grazia , despite the
cannibalisation effect weeklies have had on the men’s sector.

She
said: “The sector’s incredibly strong; there’s been a lot of growth, so
it’s not like we’re all share stealing from each other. Besides, Grazia
‘s more about celebrity. In newsagents I’ve been in it’s been racked
with Hello! and Heat , so I think it’s squarely in that market at the
moment.”

Elvin added: “Before Grazia launched they made a selling
point of being able to be newsier than the monthlies, but as far as I’m
concerned, it’s not.

“I’d be interested to see how this develops.
If you look at the successful women’s weeklies, they’re the more
throwaway tabloid newsy Jade Goody end of the market.”

Sandy
Whetton, managing director of IPC Southbank, publishers of Marie Claire
, said it was too early to say what effects Grazia would have.

He
said: “Profile-wise, there are pressures on the title. It doesn’t sit
happily in any one sector. It may be easily resolved but it will go one
way or the other – either become more celebrity or more
fashion-oriented.

“There are issues with sustainability and
seasonality in terms of fashion and is it going to appeal to women en
masse or the upscale fashionista?

“You can never be complacent – it would be ludicrous to say it’s not a threat, but I’m not losing sleep over it.”

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network