Magazine readership in sharp decline

Magazine readers are becoming less and less, as ABC circulation figures will reveal this week. The expected forecast will show the magazine market is unlikely to have grown, despite a handful of flourishing titles such as Emap's Grazia. Nearly every mass-market category, from men's and women's lifestyle to real-life and celebrity titles, appears to be stagnating. 'We're not seeing many signs of growth in any market,' says one publisher, as quoted in Observer Magazine.

Neither monthly nor weekly formats have escaped the trend and there will be some high-profile casualties, including IPC's Loaded (down 40 per cent) and Nuts (10 per cent) and Emap's New Woman (25 per cent), according to industry sources. It is the second consecutive set of ABC figures to show a slow performance and, while it may not amount to an industry crisis, it is beginning to feel like a turning point. 'It could be that we've permanently seen the last big growth in consumer magazines,' predicts one industry executive.

The figures leaked to The Observer ahead of Thursday's announcement are based on newsstand sales and exclude subscription copies. Some monthly titles, which have a high proportion of subscribers, may post better-than-expected ABC figures but the sales data is usually a reliable guide to performance. The big four publishers - IPC, Emap, Conde Nast and National Magazines - are likely to respond by hailing a handful of successes while arguing that maintaining sales in a tough market is an achievement in itself.

The figures will confirm that so-called 'lads' mags' are now in meltdown, with Loaded, FHM and Maxim recording double-digit declines on the year. Women's fashion titles are expected to fall year on year by 4.3 per cent, with only Vogue bucking the trend (up 2 per cent), and general lifestyle titles aimed at twenty-something women could see a 10 per cent fall. Both Red and Elle are expected to be down at least 5 per cent and Conde Nast's Glamour, could be down as much as 10 per cent.

Most dramatically, Emap's New Woman has lost a quarter of its sales, partly because the company has withdrawn all marketing support. Some of the best-performing genres of recent years are starting to lose their lustre, despite promotional pushes. The celebrity market, which provided huge growth at the turn of the millennium, is now saturated and performing badly. Executives are blaming the internet for the downturn, and are beginning to accelerate plans to take the battle to their online competitors.

The internet is partly responsible for the success of free titles because it has created an expectation among consumers that journalism should be free. Ultimately, the magazines' response to this threat will determine their future in what one source concedes is 'now a completely different media landscape'.

Source: The Observer