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August 16, 2018updated 20 Feb 2023 10:58am

Women’s Weeklies ABCs: Now magazine circulation plummets as TI Media titles in double-digit decline

By Dorothy Musariri

Now magazine continues to suffer significant circulation decline among women’s weeklies, falling by 42 per cent over the first six months of 2018.

The title, owned by TI Media (formerly Time Inc UK), has a circulation of 50,754, a fall of 36,000 copies on the same period last year, according to ABC figures released today.

Woman’s Own and Woman – both also owned by TI Media – recorded the year-on-year circulation decline at 24 per cent each. Together with Now they were the top three worst performers in the women’s weeklies market.

Time Inc UK was rebranded as TI Media in June after it was bought by a London-based private equity firm in February this year.

Bauer Media’s Take a break magazine is the best-selling women’s weekly, despite an 8 per cent year-on-year decline, with a circulation of 472,284.

Bauer’s Bella magazine saw a 3 per cent increase in its circulation on the same period last year to 166,031.

The company has said it is now the UK’s biggest-selling magazine publisher, with a total circulation across titles of 70.4m for the six-month period reported by ABC.

Rob Munro-Hall, group managing director at Bauer, said: “Our breadth of magazines offers a trusted environment and meaningful connections, inspiration and influence across an extremely diverse range of interests and passions.

“Print magazines remain one of the strongest opportunities for commercial partners to engage with passionate, knowledgeable audiences.

“We are very pleased that our continued investment in making the best magazine possible is being repaid by consumer loyalty and buying habits.”

Chat magazine is also in the top five, despite a 10 per cent drop in sales, along with Woman’s Weekly, Closer and Best.

UK women’s weekly titles total circulation for Jan-June 2018 (ABC):

Publication ABC total for Jan-June 2018 (avg per issue) Year-on-year % change Free copies
Take a Break 472,248 -8%
Woman’s Weekly 240,829 -10%
Chat 203,014 -10%
That’s Life 191,583 -6%
Closer 176,731 -10% 3,317
The People’s Friend 172,744 -8% 762
Bella 166,166 3%
New! 160,031 -13%
OK! Magazine 154,544 -9%
Woman 140,712 -24%
Woman’s Own 129,047 -24%
Heat 118,612 -1% 7,408
Best 117,480 -10%
Real People 115,196 -8%
Pick Me Up 105,974 -13%
Star 94,291 -13%
My Weekly 92,044 -7% 4,500
Love It! 82,624 0%
Reveal 82,247 -18%
Now 50,754 -42%

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