Now and Cosmopolitan saw the biggest circulation declines among women’s magazines in the second half of 2018, while Red and Bella boasted the highest growth.
TI Media’s women’s weekly Now saw the biggest year-on-year circulation drop of 43 per cent to 44,709.
Scroll down for full women’s monthly AND weekly mag ABC figures
Mark Winterton, managing director for women’s weeklies and TV at TI Media, said: “We are starting to see the benefit of our bold decision to go against the grain and remove our women’s weeklies titles from bigger packs…
“While the overall ABC results reflect the initial impact of stripping out the bigger packs from our promotional activity, which inflates sales figures, these single copy sales are indicative of the rewards of doing so. Our investment in audience research and editorial redevelopment will continue across all titles in the portfolio.”
Cosmopolitan saw a circulation drop of almost one-third year-on-year to 240,351, attributed by owner Hearst UK to doubling the price to £2 last year.
But the publisher celebrated a 7 per cent year-on-year circulation growth at Red (to 177,122), marking the title’s 20th anniversary, saying it followed a strategic decision to realign the title under Hearst’s lifestyle group.
Hearst UK chief executive James Wildman said: “These strong results, and the fact that several of our magazines are increasing their readership, highlight the extraordinary quality and continuing appeal of our print products.”
Weekly magazine Bella saw the second biggest circulation rise in the second half of 2018, growing 6 per cent year-on-year to 173,017.
Rob Munro-Hall, group managing director at Bauer Magazine Media UK, said: “Our focus on curating the highest quality content continues to drive engagement on all platforms – with print remaining proudly at the heart of what we do.”
Women’s lifestyle and fashion magazine ABCs for the six-month period to the end of December 2018 (or full year 2018 where shown):
Publication | Circulation total (average per issue) | Year-on-year % change | Free copies | Months in audit period |
Good Housekeeping | 451,716 | -1% | 74,366 | 6 |
John Lewis Edition | 445,292 | 0% | 445,292 | 6 |
Stylist | 403,544 | 1% | 403,544 | 6 |
Woman & Home | 281,193 | -3% | 6,000 | 6 |
Yours | 242,516 | -1% | 24,150 | 6 |
Cosmopolitan | 240,351 | -32% | 50,298 | 6 |
HELLO! | 237,736 | 1% | 6 | |
Prima | 227,014 | -5% | 20,089 | 6 |
Vogue | 192,152 | 1% | 8,417 | 6 |
Red | 177,122 | 7% | 32,615 | 6 |
Elle (U.K.) | 162,243 | -4% | 16,586 | 6 |
Women’s Health | 133,463 | 1% | 37,899 | 6 |
Harrods Magazine | 120,211 | -6% | 120,211 | 12 |
Marie Claire | 120,133 | -24% | 41,764 | 6 |
Harper’s Bazaar | 116,339 | 1% | 53,320 | 6 |
Grazia | 102,585 | 0% | 18,419 | 6 |
HELLO! Fashion Monthly | 83,772 | 4% | 6 | |
Candis | 81,486 | -11% | 267 | 6 |
Tatler | 79,029 | 1% | 23,044 | 6 |
Vanity Fair | 70,080 | -3% | 10,900 | 6 |
Psychologies Magazine | 58,182 | -3% | 121 | 12 |
No.1 Magazine | 15,169 | 0% | 984 | 12 |
Women’s weekly magazine ABCs for the six-month period to the end of December 2018 (or full year 2018 where shown):
Publication | Circulation total (average per issue) | Year-on-year % change | Free copies | Months in audit period |
Take a Break | 463,495 | -7% | 6 | |
Woman’s Weekly | 236,429 | -7% | 6 | |
Chat | 203,358 | -9% | 6 | |
That’s Life | 190,553 | -6% | 6 | |
Closer | 178,806 | -6% | 3,288 | 6 |
Bella | 173,017 | 6% | 6 | |
The People’s Friend | 169,357 | -6% | 70 | 6 |
New! | 166,300 | -3% | 6 | |
OK! Magazine | 149,142 | -10% | 6 | |
Woman | 133,103 | -20% | 6 | |
Woman’s Own | 124,187 | -19% | 6 | |
Heat | 123,948 | 3% | 7,391 | 6 |
Best | 113,429 | -11% | 6 | |
Real People | 111,872 | -8% | 6 | |
Pick Me Up | 101,179 | -16% | 6 | |
My Weekly | 90,048 | -7% | 3,100 | 6 |
Love It! | 87,238 | 3% | 6 | |
Now | 44,709 | -43% | 6 | |
Simply You | 35,574 | 6 | ||
The Lady | 23,254 | -7% | 2,999 | 12 |
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