Conde Nast's Glamour remained the leading women's lifestyle title in the second half of last year despite its average monthly circulation dropping almost three per cent.
The sector as a whole was relatively buoyant during the last six months of 2010 with an overall average circulation of 7,028,240, a year-on-year increase of 6.7 per cent as two new titles boosted collective circulation.
One of these was in-store title John Lewis Edition, which is published five times a year by John Brown.
It had an average distribution of 485,139 in the period which made it the sector's second biggest magazine.
Glamour's average monthly circulation was 500,591 in the period – a year-on-year drop of 2.9 per cent.
National Magazine Company's flagship glossy, Cosmopolitan, remained the sector's sixth biggest selling title despite suffering the biggest fall in circulation of a leading title.
Cosmopolitan's average monthly circulation was 400,575 in the period – a drop of 6.9 per cent year on year.
Barndee Publishing's Stellar magazine was by far the biggest growing magazine in the sector as its average circulation increased 143 per cent year on year to 21,556.
Stellar was the only triple digit riser in the sector, IPC Media's Essentials magazine did, however, record a 12.7 per cent increase to an average circulation of 126,379 in the period – it was one of two titles to record double-digit growth.
Of the 36 titles listed in the women's lifestyle sector 17 recorded a year-on-year increase in circulation, three magazines recorded a double-digit fall in circulation.
Fluctuating circulations did not affect the standing of the leading titles as the top 21 remained in the same positions from when the ABC last reported circulation figures in August.
The women's lifestyle sector did, however, throw up one significant point. The National Magazine Company said it disputed the ABC's certificate given to Prima as the auditing body excluded the UK newsstand copies on the September issue from its calculation on a technicality.
NatMag said this move was detrimental to both advertisers and customers and Prima actually had an average circulation of 297,000 during the period – three percent increase year on year, which if included would have lifted it up one place from tenth position.
Women's interest: lifestyle/fashion ABC figures, last six months of 2010 (all percentages are year-on-year changes)
1 Glamour 500,591 -2.9%
2 John Lewis Edition 485,139 N/A
3 ASOS.com 451,369 0.3%
4 Good Housekeeping 443,750 3.2%
5 Stylist 424,107 3.3%
6 Cosmopolitan 400,575 -6.9%
7 Woman & Home 385,800 4.7%
8 Look 311,425 -0.5%
9 Yours 293,016 3.0%
10 Prima 268,421 -6.9%
11 Marie Claire 265,042 -6.4%
12 Candis 247,906 -6.0%
13 Red 231,028 2.0%
14 Grazia 224,421 -2.3%
15 Company 217,491 -9.4%
16 Vogue 211,277 0.4%
17 Elle (U.K.) 200,531 2.6%
18 More! 188,265 -2.4%
19 Instyle UK 180,574 -1.9%
20 Easy Living 160,061 -5.9%
21 She 144,583 -3.7%
22 Essentials 126,379 12.7%
23 Psychologies Magazine 120,119 -8.2%
24 Harpers Bazaar 119,712 8.2%
25 Vanity Fair 102,471 0.0%
26 Tatler 87,258 1.1%
27 Ladies First Magazine (Wales) 36,457 0.1%
28 WM The Womans Magazine 34,278 4.6%
29 U Magazine 27,564 -4.4%
30 VIP Magazine 24,113 -10.9%
31 Irish Tatler 23,536 -12.4%
32 Stellar 21,556 143.1%
33 No1 Magazine 20,074 N/A
34 Social & Personal 19,056 16.1%
35 Image 19,005 -13.8%
36 Prudence 11,290 2.3%
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