The young women’s market continues to suffer as both remaining titles, More! and 19, dropped sales. The market fell by 5.9 per cent overall and 19 fell 9.4 per cent, taking sales to 97,161.
Emap Elan announced earlier this year that it would pump £3m into market leader More! after sales fell by 15.1 per cent in February’s ABCs.
The magazine was positioned as an older read and an accompanying website, moremagazine.co.uk, targeting women aged 16 to 24 was launched.
More! was made more “glamorous and newsy” and the price was dropped to £1. The first relaunch issue was published at the end of June.
Emap Elan’s managing director of youth and women’s titles, Dawn Bébe, said figures for the relaunch issue already show sales of almost double the new ABC figure of 250,869.
She added that the young women’s market no longer existed as it once did.
“‘Young woman’ is a redundant phrase. There is just a massive woman’s market now instead. We have positioned More! as an older magazine but 19 is still precariously positioned between teenage and grown-up.”
Sandy Whetton, managing director of IPC Southbank, said: ” I think these figures have got to be taken in the context of the marketplace. It is incredibly tough.
“We have been out and talked to readers and we have got some issues we need to address. I don’t think it’s about being older, it’s about attitude,” he added.
By Mary Stevens
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