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August 20, 2012updated 11 Sep 2012 4:05pm

Mag ABCs: How the big publishers performed

By Andrew Pugh

Egmont Magazines saw sales increase a massive 21 per cent in the first half of 2012 – by far the best performance of any of the major UK publishers.

Circulation at Egmont Magazines, which is the children's magazine division of Egmont UK, rose from 516,924 in the six months to June 2011 to 624,292 in the six months to June 2012.

The company said its success was partly down to the launch of new teen mag We Love Pop and children's title Bin Weevils.

Below is a full breakdown of how the UK's biggest publishers fared in the latest ABC results (first half of 2012)

(Circulation figure; percentage change year on year)

Bauer Consumer Media : 2,409,804 ; -10.7%

Conde Nast Publications Ltd : 1,448,477 ; -3.7%

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D C Thomson & Co Ltd : 493,388 ; 9.1%

Dennis Publishing Limited : 473,471 ; -3.8%

Egmont Magazines UK : 520,005 ; 20.8%

H Bauer Publishing : 2,854,452 ; -4.0%

Haymarket Consumer Media : 368,617 ; -0.5%

Hearst Magazines UK : 3,513,131 ; -9.0%

Immediate Media Company : 3,041,105 ; -2.4%

IPC Media Ltd : 5,427,741 ; -6.1%

 

Breakdown by publisher

BAUER CONSUMER MEDIA : 2,224,647 ; -10.7%

Best-performing title

Car : 54,171 ; 0.3%

Worst-performing title

FHM : 123,844 ; -20.4%

Full ABC figures

Garden Answers : 18,566 ; -6.5%

Garden News : 29,792 ; -1.8%

Golf World : 34,549 ; -4.8%

Grazia : 190,053 ; -13.5%

Heat : 290,003 ; -11.2%

Kerrang! : 40,203 ; -6.6%

Mojo : 85,149 ; -2.4%

More! : 106,065 ; -37.6%

Mother and Baby : 40,954 ; -14.2%

Practical Classics and Car Restorer : 47,501 ; -5.3%

Pregnancy & Birth : 16,447 ; -38.6%

Q : 64,596 ; -19.7%

Today's Golfer : 60,375 ; -8.4%

Top Sante Health & Beauty : 63,525 ; -9.3%

Yours : 280,804 ; -1.8%

Zoo : 46,310 ; -14.7%

What they said

Paul Keenan, chief executive: "Bauer's multi-platform brands continue to perform well and are reaching new audiences through innovative new digital launches, an integral part of our strategy to deliver content to consumers whenever, wherever and however they want it. Our magazine brands are influential amongst consumers, as evidenced by the Anatomy of Influence study, and with our consistent focus on investment in our products and brands, the reach and relevance of our brands will continue to grow."

 

CONDE NAST 1,448,477 ; -3.7%

Best-performing title

Wired : 52,136 ; 4.0%

Worst-performing title

Glamour : 470,138 ; -11.3%

Full ABC figures

Conde Nast Traveller : 80,105 ; 0.1%

Easy Living : 164,019 ; 3.8%

Glamour : 470,138 ; -11.3%

GQ : 120,139 ; 1.6%

House & Garden : 126,841 ; -0.3%

Tatler : 87,004 ; -0.7%

Vanity Fair : 100,692 ; 0.1%

Vogue : 205,033 ; -2.7%

Wired : 52,136 ; 4.0%

World Of Interiors : 61,849 ; -0.4%

What they said

Nicholas Coleridge, managing director: 'It is encouraging to see so many of our titles rising in circulation, boosted by the growing number of consumers who choose to read their magazines in digital form. Print, meanwhile, continues to perform more robustly than many in the industry predicted. The result is one of our strongest circulation sets for several years.'

DC THOMSON : 475,796 ; 9.1%

Best-performing title

My Weekly : 121,283 ; -2.7%

Worst-performing title

Weekly News : 35,494 ; -17.9%

Full ABC figures

My Weekly : 121,283 ; -2.7%

People's Friend Special Series : 69,139 ; N/A

Peoples Friend : 249,880 ; -6.8%

Peoples Friend Group : 319,019 ; N/A

Weekly News : 35,494 ; -17.9%

 

DENNIS PUBLISHING : 470,610 ; -3.8%

Best-performing title

The Week : 191,401 ; 4.2%

Worst-performing title

Women's Fitness : 20,717 ; -25.0%

Full ABC figures

Auto Express : 54,633 ; -3.2%

Evo : 55,815 ; -9.1%

Health & Fitness : 25,546 ; -21.7%

Land Rover Monthly : 21,172 ; -12.2%

Men's Fitness : 65,201 ; -3.8%

Octane : 36,125 ; 1.1%

The Week : 191,401 ; 4.2%

Women's Fitness : 20,717 ; -25.0%

What they said

James Tye, CEO: 'It is impressive to see The Week continue to grow its overall print circulation as well as its iPad sales so dramatically over the last 6 months. I'm also encouraged to see that, where current auditing regulations allow, we are beginning to realise significant sales across our portfolio via the iPad. Nowhere is this more obvious than Men's Fitness, which posts a substantial YOY increase."

EGMONT MAGAZINES : 624,292 ; 20.8%

Best-performing title

World of Cars : 40,505 ; 28.5%

Worst-performing title

Toy Story : 33,476 ; -20.8%

Full ABC figures

Barbie : 53,246 ; 0.4%

Ben 10 : 58,529 ; -17.8%

Bin Weevils : 47,011 ; N/A

Disney and Me : 41,006 ; 1.2%

Disney Fairies Tinkerbell : 30,009 ; 3.4%

Disney's Princess : 66,010 ; 4.4%

Dora The Explorer : 25,426 ; -2.3%

Egmont Disney Group : 211,006 ; 2.1%

Egmont Girls Group : 187,270 ; 2.7%

Fireman Sam : 32,032 ; 12.2%

Go Girl : 38,005 ; 2.7%

Thomas and Friends : 33,020 ; 15.8%

Thomas Express : 32,509 ; 27.5%

Toxic : 43,003 ; 6.2%

Toy Story : 33,476 ; -20.8%

We Love Pop Magazine : 50,505 ; N/A

World of Cars : 40,505 ; 28.5%

What they said

Debbie Cook, director of magazines: 'This is a great set of ABC results for Egmont showing strength and depth throughout our magazine portfolio, including an overall increase in circulation across all our titles. It's great to see that investment in our products, staying close to our readers through constant research, innovative retail promotions and the support of strong reader engagement through mobile apps, websites and social media platforms is paying dividends.

"Our magazines are buoyant. They are bought, read and enjoyed because we make sure they're fun and relevant to children's lives. All of this has put Egmont in a strong position to continue working with our advertisers in creative ways to connect with children and teen audiences across all of our brands."

H BAUER PUBLISHING : 2,788,676 ; -4.0%

Best-performing title

Eat In : 22,029 ; 52.7%

Worst-performing title

Spirit & Destiny : 46,580 ; -11.1%

 

Full ABC figures

Bella : 229,242 ; -4.3%

Eat In : 22,029 ; 52.7%

Spirit & Destiny : 46,580 ; -11.1%

Take a Break : 786,849 ; -2.1%

That's Life : 305,074 ; -5.1%

Total TV Guide : 121,052 ; 3.1%

TV Choice : 1,277,850 ; -5.7%

HAYMARKET CONSUMER MEDIA : 357,544 ; -0.5%

Best-performing title

Four Four Two : 96,240 ; 19.9%

Worst-performing title

What Car? : 72,384 ; -11.8%

Full ABC figures

Autocar : 40,460 ; -9.2%

Classic & Sports Car : 72,377 ; 0.3%

Four Four Two : 96,240 ; 19.9%

Stuff : 76,083 ; -5.1%

What Car? : 72,384 ; -11.8%

David Prasher, managing director: " am delighted with the exceptional performance of FourFourTwo on the newsstand for the first half of 2012. Such growth in a particularly challenging marketplace is a remarkable achievement and shows that a maintained focus on and investment in high quality, specialist magazines, pays off.

"In our other sectors, despite a tougher newsstand environment, we are maintaining or improving a competitive position and widening the gap between our titles and their main competitors. On top of that, our brands are experiencing ongoing growth of their online and digital audiences and revenues."

 

HEARST MAGAZINES UK : 3,274,340 ; -9.0%

Best-performing title

Elle Decoration : 70,655 ; 0.5%

Worst-performing title

Company : 143,269 ; -20.5%

Full ABC figures

All About Soap : 78,244 ; -13.9%

Best : 261,634 ; -6.6%

Coast : 38,657 ; -9.3%

Company : 143,269 ; -20.5%

Cosmopolitan : 353,413 ; -8.6%

Country Living : 190,177 ; -7.7%

Elle (U.K.) : 189,568 ; -3.8%

Elle Decoration : 70,655 ; 0.5%

Esquire : 54,702 ; -6.0%

Good Housekeeping : 408,569 ; -5.2%

Harpers Bazaar : 119,274 ; 0.4%

House Beautiful : 126,497 ; -11.6%

Inside Soap : 154,657 ; -6.3%

Prima : 264,312 ; -5.7%

Psychologies Magazine : 92,302 ; -15.0%

Real People : 197,288 ; -5.5%

Red : 226,116 ; -2.2%

Elle Decoration : 70,655 ; 0.5%

Zest : 71,820 ; -17.5%

 

IMMEDIATE MEDIA COMPANY : 2,961,308 ; -2.4%

Best-performing title

Cbeebies Art : 66,706 ; 8.8%

Woest-performing title

Doctor Who Adventures Magazine : 31,903 ; -36.2%

Full ABC figures

All About Animals : 20,690 ; -15.9%

BBC Countryfile Magazine : 40,770 ; 3.3%

BBC Focus : 64,625 ; -2.8%

BBC Gardeners' World : 254,530 ; -4.1%

BBC Good Food : 267,164 ; -9.3%

BBC History Magazine : 71,403 ; 2.9%

BBC Home Cooking Series : 25,536 ; -30.7%

BBC Sky at Night : 24,736 ; 8.5%

BBC Top Gear Magazine : 155,017 ; -18.6%

BBC Wildlife : 40,815 ; -3.4%

Bob The Builder : 40,317 ; -1.0%

Cbeebies Animals : 30,606 ; -13.6%

Cbeebies Art : 66,706 ; 8.8%

Cbeebies Special : 64,696 ; 6.6%

CBeebies Weekly : 50,006 ; -11.7%

Charlie & Lola : 30,014 ; -23.5%

Doctor Who Adventures Magazine : 31,903 ; -36.2%

Easy Cook : 41,277 ; -14.5%

Gardens Illustrated : 35,701 ; 4.1%

Girl Talk : 52,417 ; -19.5%

Girl Talk Art : 59,000 ; N/A

Hair Ideas : 44,406 ; -26.1%

Homes & Antiques : 61,536 ; 4.8%

In The Night Garden : 52,214 ; -9.0%

Lonely Planet Magazine : 59,136 ; -4.9%

Octonauts : 58,409 ; N/A

Olive : 71,344 ; -13.8%

Practical Parenting : 18,382 ; -6.4%

Prima Baby : 25,804 ; -19.2%

Radio Times : 865,562 ; -3.9%

Rastamouse : 45,000 ; N/A

Something Special : 61,340 ; -0.7%

Top of the Pops : 78,352 ; -20.1%

Toybox : 36,621 ; 1.8%

Your Hair : 15,273 ; -27.2%

IPC MEDIA : 5,210,962 ; -6.1%

Best-performing title

Style at Home : 80,011 ; 52.2%

Worst-performing title

Nuts : 90,134 ; -20.9%

Full ABC figures

25 Beautiful Homes : 102,012 ; -5.5%

Amateur Gardening : 37,718 ; -3.5%

Chat : 368,334 ; -6.0%

Country Homes and Interiors : 99,676 ; 7.7%

Essentials : 119,087 ; -6.2%

Golf Monthly : 56,806 ; -3.4%

Good to Know Recipes : 35,136 ; -6.9%

Homes & Gardens : 131,555 ; -4.5%

Ideal Home : 193,203 ; -6.1%

Instyle UK : 163,432 ; -6.7%

Living etc : 98,250 ; 1.2%

New Musical Express : 23,924 ; -17.6%

Now : 259,318 ; -16.1%

Nuts : 90,134 ; -20.9%

Pick Me Up : 212,915 ; -18.6%

Soaplife : 84,964 ; -15.7%

Style at Home : 80,011 ; 52.2%

TV & Satellite Week : 168,630 ; -4.6%

TV Easy : 148,664 ; -8.3%

TV Times : 265,550 ; -8.5%

Uncut : 63,003 ; -4.5%

What's on TV : 1,215,609 ; -4.6%

Woman : 279,362 ; -2.6%

Woman & Home : 353,731 ; -4.5%

Woman's Own : 232,107 ; -5.6%

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