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August 11, 2016updated 12 Aug 2016 4:33pm

UK mag sales dropped 5.3 per cent in first half of 2016: Reader’s Digest, Heat and Glamour among biggest fallers

By Dominic Ponsford

UK consumer magazines lost circulation by an average of 5.3 per cent in the first six months of this year.

Most the 174 titles audited by ABC on a six-monthly basis lost circulation year on year (figures include digital editions).

But a number of titles bucked the overall trend. Cosmopolitan was one of the best performers, up 60 per cent year on year to more than 400,000 copies per month. It was helped by a price cut to £1 and the introduction of 100,000 free copies.

Political weekly The Spectator was another strong performer, up 37.9 per cent year on year to 76,750 (helped largely by the inclusion of digital edition sales in its main ABC). The Economist grew 3.5 per cent to 236,342 a week in the UK.

Among the big fallers were:

  • Reader’s Digest, down 32.1 per cent to 104,057 per month
  • Saga Magazine, down 15.6 per cent to 326,127 copies per month
  • Glamour, down 18.9 per cent to 300,063 per month
  • Heat, down 22.3 per cent to 144,074 per week
  • Now, down 21.8 per cent to 109,661 per week

UK consumer magazine circulations in the first half of 2016, source ABC

Figures include print and digital edition sales, change year on year and percentage of UK and Ireland sales active purchased

Product Total YoY% UK ROI AP%
Good Living (Asda) 1,969,160 -6.7 Free
Tesco Magazine 1,956,827 0 Free
TV Choice 1,232,038 -3.4 100
What’s on TV 945,252 -7 100
Waitrose Food 695,858 0.4 Free
Radio Times 668,526 -6.2 99.7
Slimming World Magazine 628,369 14.2 100
Take a Break 562,412 -7.6 100
Shortlist 505,876 0.7 Free
John Lewis Edition 476,180 -2.7 Free
ASOS.com 453,325 -2.7 Free
Good Housekeeping 444,941 10.1 85.9
Cosmopolitan 413,155 59.9 75.1
The Garden 405,305 3.5 Free
Stylist 404,408 0.3 Free
Emma’s Diary Pregnancy Guide 376,524 -3.1 Free
ES Magazine 366,354 6.4 Free
Saga Magazine 326,127 -15.6 99.2
Woman & Home 315,582 -4.5 97.9
Time Out 308,989 0.3 2.6
NME 308,606 0.8
Sport 306,384 0.7 Free
COACH 300,997 Free
Glamour 300,063 -18.9 94.9
Woman’s Weekly 284,251 -4.2 99.9
Prima 258,214 -2.2 90.4
Yours 257,349 -5.6 92
Chat 254,530 -7.3 100
HELLO! 253,253 -3.1 94.7
Closer 244,480 -13.8 99.2
The Economist –  United Kingdom Edition 236,342 3.7 95.1
Private Eye 230,099 0.8 99.9
Woman 223,199 -9.8 100
That’s Life 220,162 -8.8 100
New! 216,877 -13.7 99.5
BBC Gardeners’ World 205,479 -1.7 99.7
The Week 204,197 0.7 77.9
The People’s Friend 202,082 -5.9 99.8
Balance 201,527 Free
BBC Good Food 200,225 -9 98.5
TV Times 197,153 -7.5 99.9
The Economist –  Continental Europe Edition 195,876 -19.6 99.3
Vogue 195,053 -2.5 85.7
Red 193,872 2.7 81.9
Woman’s Own 191,328 -8.4 99.2
Sainsbury’s Magazine 189,578 -13.1 97.7
National Geographic Magazine 184,453 -12.8 95
Country Living 180,844 7.1 81.8
Men’s Health 180,082 -7.1 71
Ideal Home 179,204 2.5 94.5
OK! Magazine 176,386 -11.8 93
Bella 176,018 -5.9 100
Elle (U.K.) 171,874 4.7 63.3
Marie Claire 165,362 -11.1 85.4
Take a Break Series 147,572 4.2 100
Heat 144,074 -22.3 93.7
Best 142,850 -16.6 99.5
Real People 141,421 -9.6 99.7
Empire 136,666 -5.5 98.7
Pick Me Up 133,481 -7.2 100
Women’s Health 128,253 2.8 85.3
Grazia 127,109 -11.6 93.6
TV & Satellite Week 126,425 -8.6 99.9
Star 125,854 -15.2 99.5
Instyle UK 123,076 -18 68.5
GQ 117,039 -3.3 77.6
House Beautiful 115,050 2.7 86
BBC Top Gear Magazine 114,973 -14 77.8
Reveal 113,909 -14.4 99.5
House & Garden 113,182 0.1 65.7
Your Home 111,881 -7.1 95.1
Harpers Bazaar 110,710 4.4 48.1
Now 109,661 -21.8 99.9
Foodism 109,367 1.9 Free
Candis 105,796 -13.2 99.4
Inside Soap 105,342 -15.4 99.6
Reader’s Digest 104,057 -32.1 74
Homes & Gardens 103,921 -0.8 75
Escapism 101,700 1.1 Free
Forever Sports 101,430 12 85.4
My Weekly 100,363 -2.7 96.9
Weightwatchers Magazine 100,094 -12.5 100
Total TV Guide 98,205 -9.8 99.9
Look 91,902 -30.3 88.9
Style at Home 87,425 -10.7 99.9
Tatler 84,515 0.2 58.8
Disney Frozen 84,021 -7.7 100
First News 83,254 4.8 51.8
Vanity Fair 80,083 -9 71
Love It! 80,029 100
Disney Star Wars Lego 80,012 100
Living etc 79,500 -10.3 99.9
Essentials 79,246 -23.9 99.9
25 Beautiful Homes 78,624 -3.6 99.9
Conde Nast Traveller 78,131 0.1 40
LEGO Ninjago 77,879 34.1 100
The Spectator excluding Australia 76,750 37.9 87
Monocle 76,180 -5 93.2
Country Homes and Interiors 75,603 -11.1 99.9
Where London Magazine 75,058 -0.1 Free
Ni4Kids 74,940 1 Free
Peppa Pig Bag-o-Fun 72,973 8.4 100
Fun to Learn – Peppa Pig 71,938 -16.4 100
Elle Decoration 69,510 4.7 89.2
HELLO! Fashion Monthly 66,143 -27.4 99.9
Esquire 64,712 14.5 52.1
Cbeebies Art 61,196 14.6 100
Square Mile 59,269 -0.6 Free
CBeebies Magazine 58,353 -16 100
delicious 58,165 0.3 93.1
World Of Interiors 58,069 0 69.7
Toxic 58,012 5.5 99.1
The Sunday Times Travel Magazine 57,062 0.8 63.4
Sparkle World 56,285 15.5 100
Cbeebies Special 55,373 12.2 100
HomeStyle 55,190 -22 91.9
Wired 54,094 0.1 73.6
Lego Nexo Knights 51,005 100
Fun to Learn – Friends 49,145 5.3 100
Uncut 48,305 -2.6 99.9
The Oldie 46,421 0.6 97
Good Homes 46,332 0.9 70.6
MoneyWeek 45,239 -5.7 98.9
Jamie Magazine 45,047 -10.1 60.7
Disney’s Princess 45,041 -3.2 100
Lonely Planet Traveller 44,468 -5.6 83.4
Top of the Pops 43,944 2.2 100
Soaplife 43,154 -16.1 100
Andy’s Amazing Adventures 41,821 100
LEGO Friends 40,111 11.2 100
Go Girl 40,024 2.5 98.6
Disney Stars 39,438 -1.5 100
Thomas and Friends 39,166 -6.8 100
Go Jetters 39,000 100
Girl Talk 38,550 26.6 100
Garden News 38,182 -4.7 99.6
Disney Star Wars Adventures 38,014 100
Olive 37,329 -9.2 94.3
Fun to Learn – Favourites 35,992 6.7 100
Octonauts 34,473 -9.2 100
Swashbuckle 33,284 -41.5 100
Prospect 32,475 3.3 62.9
Ultimate Spider-man 31,738 -1.1 99.5
Something Special 31,525 -27.2 100
Investors Chronicle 30,324 -6.1 99.8
Mega 30,038 -12.9 100
All About Soap 29,788 -31.2 98.4
Barbie 29,412 -16 100
We Love Pop Magazine 29,076 -22 100
Grand Designs 28,985 -11.8 82.6
BBC Easy Cook 28,935 -15 96.2
Times Literary Supplement 28,522 7.8 89.2
Girl Talk Art 28,003 -0.9 100
Clangers 26,444 100
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 26,004 -15.5 99.8
Peter Rabbit 25,845 -7.9 100
Doctor Who Magazine 25,832 0.7 99.3
Sofia The First 25,516 -21.9 100
In The Night Garden 25,126 -29.6 100
Toybox 23,452 -6.6 100
Horrible Histories 23,015 -12.1 100
Garden Answers 22,620 0.1 98.6
BBC Home Cooking Series 21,565 5.8 100
WM The Womans Magazine 21,176 8.3 Free
Disney and Me 21,076 -25.2 100
Hey Duggee 20,675 100
Doc McStuffins 20,641 -41.8 100
Jewish Chronicle 20,317 -4.7 79.4
Good Things 20,299 29 4.6
World of Cars 20,047 -20.1 100
Gurgle Magazine 18,833 -2.2 58.8
Weekly News 18,192 -16.6 99.9
Skylanders Universe 13,686 -42.9 100
Doctor Who Adventures Magazine 11,268 -45.1 99.8

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