The Men’s magazine market continues to decline overall with very few bright spots. Free weekly, Shortlist, remains in the top spot with a circulation of 510,720 and slight increases both in period on period and year on year comparisons (0.9% and 6.1%). The health and fitness arena also showed some muscle. Men’s Fitness posted a 3.6% increase year on year and Men’s Health added 2.1%, its 15^th consecutive period rise, overtaking FHM to the top spot, circulating 15,220 more copies.

The demise of the ‘lad’s mag’ continues apace. Following the closure of Maxim in April, both Loaded and FHM turned in disappointing figures, with year on year falls of -23.8% and -16.2% respectively. In an attempt to bounce back FHM has reduced its cover price by £1.40 to £2.50 with the November cover dated issue. This is indicative of the desperate state of the lad’s market and speculation remains that the print editions will disappear altogether over time and their survival will be as online channels only. There appears to be an online audience for this type of product. Dennis Publishing’s online lad’s magazine, Monkeymag.co.uk, now has over a million unique users each month.

 At the premium end, Esquire was disappointing, posting a year on year fall of 9.3%.  The title is hoping that its strategy of introducing ‘special issues’ such as the recent hard back September issue, will help it to regain circulation in the next ABC’s.  Esquire’s fashion and lifestyle rival, GQ, was also down -7.7%.

By: Catriona Deery

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As with the previous periods’ results for July – December 08, the latest ABC figures for January – June 2009 show women’s magazines faring better than the men’s magazine market but most of the women’s monthlies still reported declines both period on period and year on year. An indication of the overall weakness of the market is that Glamour remained the top selling monthly despite a 4.6% decrease in sales. However, the latest ABC’s have not been the blood-bath that some expected. The overall year on year shrinkage in the women’s lifestyle market overall was only 2.8% year on year, suggesting that female audiences still value affordable luxuries and practical advice in times of austerity, although there is evidence of some titles boosting their circulations with bulks and cheap subscriptions. What is widely accepted is that where consumers were previously buying multiple magazines, they are now restricting themselves to their favourite titles.

The decline of the market targeting 30 something women continues, with Easy Living, She and Marie Claire’s circulations all decreasing year on year by double digit percentages.  However the recent re-launch of Marie Claire, with previous InStyle editor Trish Halpin at the helm, has greatly improved the title, re-establishing its fashion credentials and shifting the focus away from the more ethical route it had been following. 

Despite the difficult market, there are still signs of new life in the market. A new launch from the publishers of the freely distributed men’s magazine Shortlist, launches on the 7^th October. Stylist will initially distribute an ambitious 400,000 copies per week in four key cities, London, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham, targeting an up-market, working woman. The editorial will combine fashion and beauty but without the same celebrity focus of weekly competitors, Grazia and Look.

By: Catriona Deery

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